Queen Elisabeth II worked to boost the morale of the British, hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, by reminding them that they should "never lose hope" , during a speech broadcast on Friday, the day of commemoration of the 8 May 1945.
"At first, the prospects seemed bleak, the distant outcome, the outcome uncertain," said the queen, referring to the Second World War. "But we continued to believe that the cause was just and this conviction (...) carried us. Never give up, never lose hope, that was the message of Victory in Europe Day ”.
The speech was broadcast on the BBC at 8:00 p.m. GMT, the exact time his father King George VI spoke on the radio in 1945.
It was recorded at Windsor Castle, about 40 km from London, where the 94-year-old monarch and her husband Prince Philip, 98, withdrew at the start of the pandemic.
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It was the Queen's second televised speech during the pandemic, which exceeded 31,000 deaths in the UK, the second most mourning country in the world.
Referring to the soldiers who died in combat, the Queen considered that "the greatest tribute to their sacrifice is that countries which were once sworn enemies are now friends, working side by side for peace, health and prosperity for all" .
This May 8 is an exceptionally public holiday in the United Kingdom so that the British can celebrate the capitulation of the Nazi regime to the Allies, 75 years ago. But because of the pandemic, the celebrations were canceled, and the British invited to commemorate this event at their home, and in particular to sing a song intended to raise the morale of the troops, We'll meet again.
Read also: LIVE - Coronavirus: news on Friday, May 8 on the pandemic
At 10:00 am GMT, the population observed two minutes of silence, after a parade of the Royal Air Force in the London sky.
Despite the absence of a parade, “our streets are not empty; they are filled with the love and care we have for each other, ” said Elisabeth II. "And when I look at our country today and see what we are ready to do to protect and support each other, I proudly observe that we are still a nation that these brave soldiers, sailors and airmen would recognize and would admire, " she said.
In 1945, the 19-year-old queen, who was then called Princess Elisabeth, had left Buckingham Palace to participate in street celebrations. It was "one of the most memorable nights of my life," she described to the BBC in 1985.
