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During the commemorative "VE Day 80: A Celebration to " concert in London, King Charles III brought history to life by sharing an intimate piece of royal family lore.
In front of an audience of 12,000, the monarch read from his late mother Queen Elizabeth II's personal diary-an entry written when she was just 19 years old. The diary recounts a remarkable and little-known moment: the night the young Princess Elizabeth slipped out of Buckingham Palace to jubilant crowds on the streets of London as World War II in Europe came to an end.
The spontaneous adventure occurred on May 8, 1945, known as Victory in Europe Day, when citizens across Britain celebrated the Allied forces' triumph over Nazi .
Queen Elizabeth, then a princess, and her sister Princess Margaret blended anonymously into the cheering crowds outside the palace gates-a rare moment of freedom during a lifetime of duty and formality.
A night of freedom amid historic celebration
Reading from the diary, King Charles shared his mother's vivid memories, including her excitement and the sheer energy of the night.
"The celebration that evening was marked by my own late mother who, just 19 years old, described in her diary how she mingled anonymously in the crowds across central London and, in her own words, 'walked for miles' among them," King Charles said.
"The rejoicing continued into the next day, when she wrote, 'Out in the crowd again. Embankment, Piccadilly. Rained, so fewer people. Conga-ed into house. Sang till 2 a.m. Bed at 3 a.m.!'"
The enthusiastic tone of the entry reflects the infectious spirit that gripped the capital that evening. Despite their royal status, the two young princesses were swept up in the collective relief and celebration that gripped the nation.
The story was met with laughter and applause, offering the crowd not only a touching family anecdote but a deeply human connection to a monumental historical event. It reminded everyone that even royalty were participants in that unifying moment of peace and hope.
The 80th anniversary concert, which included appearances by Queen Camilla, Prince William, and Princess Kate, was part of a larger tribute honoring those who lived through the war.
While the event acknowledged the global and political significance of VE Day, King Charles's reading offered a rare personal glimpse into what the end of the war meant to individuals-especially to someone who would later become Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
For Queen Elizabeth II, that evening remained one of the most cherished memories of her youth. For King Charles, sharing it publicly not only paid homage to his mother's legacy but also bridged generations. It was a poignant reminder that behind the crown, there is a personal history, woven into the very fabric of the nation's collective memory.