Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Make Rare Appearance for VE Day

Kate Middleton and Prince William‘s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, made a surprise public appearance to help kick off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

On May 5, the royal siblings, who were last seen together in public during the Christmas Day church service at Sandringham, joined their parents, King Charles, Queen Camilla and other members of the royal family at the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace. The appearance marked the start of events honoring the 80th anniversary of VE Day—Victory in Europe Day.

The siblings’ appearance had not been announced in advance and follows William and Kate’s unexpected decision to skip the traditional Easter church outing last month. Instead, they spent the spring break quietly in Norfolk with their children, away from the public eye.

George, 11, Charlotte, 10, and Louis, 7, walked alongside their parents as they observed the parade, each taking a moment to meet a veteran before Princess Kate followed suit and the family settled into their seats.

The children were full of energy during the festivities, with Charlotte leaning over to whisper something that made Louis break into a grin—showing off the gap-toothed smile recently seen in his 7th birthday portraits, released on April 23. Fresh off her own birthday weekend on May 2, Charlotte kept the celebrations going with a special day off school to mark the milestone.

Hundreds of street parties are being held across the country, while formal military events unfold in London, including a procession featuring 1,300 members of the Armed Forces.

Following the procession, the royal family will gather to watch a flypast of iconic Royal Air Force planes from the palace balcony, before King Charles hosts a tea party for some of the last surviving heroes of the conflict and their families.

On May 8, 1945, Prince William’s great-grandfather King George VI announced via radio broadcast that World War II was over in Europe amid victory by the Allied Powers. Eighty years later, working members of the royal family came together at the Queen Victoria Memorial in the heart of London to observe a military procession down The Mall from Whitehall to honor those who served in World War II. 

The family of five was also joined by Prince Edward, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent, in ranks representing most of today’s working royal contingent. Working royals Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester were not expected at the London celebration on Monday, as the couple attended the official commemoration of the Liberation of Denmark on Sunday, May 4.

The royals were also joined by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and veterans from the Royal British Legion. The Royal British Legion is the U.K.’s largest charity working to support the armed forces and an organization that King Charles back as patron.

The palace outing is the British royal family’s first of the week, honoring VE Day, which they are expected to commemorate with a meaningful series of events through the week before the 80th anniversary on May 8. 

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Prince William and Princess Kate are scheduled to attend the tea party hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla for veterans and members of the World War II generation later on Monday, but will do so without their children.

On Thursday’s landmark anniversary, they will appear at a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, which will highlight the sacrifice of the World War II generation.

A core focus of the royal family’s public work is supporting the British military and honoring the sacrifices made by previous generations. As monarch, King Charles is the head of the Armed Forces, with his eldest son William and his wife Kate holding several honorary roles and patronages related to the military.