Britain marks its national commemoration day Sunday to celebrate
the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two, with thousands of
people gathering to say their "Thank you" to those who have served
and fallen in the war.??
The commemoration started with Queen Elizabeth II laying a
bouquet of flowers at a memorial in the forecourt of the
Westminster Abbey to all innocent people who have laid their lives
in wars.
The Queen was then joined by Prime Minister Tony Blair, and
heads of the opposition parties as well as hundreds of war veterans
for a memorial service at the Westminster Abbey.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, told the
congregation that the service was a "fitting response" to the
terrorist bombings in London on Thursday, which claimed dozens of
lives.
Following the service, the Queen attended a veterans' lunch at
Buckingham Palace.
A Parade of Standards took place in the Mall in central London
and a two-minute of silence observed to remember those giving their
lives to the country.
In her address to the nation, the Queen hailed the "unremitting
hardship and sacrifice" made by those who have served for the
country during the six years of WWII, adding the national
commemoration day is "an act of honor" shown to the veterans and
their families.
Meanwhile, a fly-past of WWII aircraft Lancaster Bomber dropped
one million poppies over Whitehall to mark the countless lives lost
in the war.
The event is part of a weekend of remembrance for fallen WWII
heroes.
On Saturday the Queen unveiled a memorial in London to
commemorate the sacrifices made by millions of women during WWII.
One thousand war veterans attended the commemorations.
(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2005)