Queen Elizabeth’s Memories of VE Day Resurfaced for 80th Anniversary — Including Leaving the Palace Incognito

• Queen Elizabeth’s remarks about VE Day have resurfaced on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe

• The then-Princess Elizabeth was 19 at the time, and she and sister Princess Margaret went incognito to celebration in the streets of London

• The history-making monarch said she was “terrified” of being recognized remembered it as “one of the most memorable nights of my life”

Queen Elizabeth had a historic life, but she once called the end of World War II in Europe “one of the most memorable nights of my life.”

As the British royal family gathered in London to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, their social media pages resurfaced the late Queen Elizabeth’s recollections of the historic day. The then-princess was 19 when the war ended, and she reflected on celebrating on May 8, 1945, in a BBC recording from 1985.

After waving to the crowds gathered in front of the balcony at Buckingham Palace “every hour” with their father King George VI and their mother Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, went incognito to mix in with the crowds and experience first-hand the joy of those celebrating throughout London.

“Terrified” of being recognized, the royal recalled how she pulled her uniform cap down over her eyes — until a Grenadier Guards officer who was escorting her said he “refused to be seen in the company of another officer improperly dressed.”

Elizabeth recalled, “We cheered the King and Queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the street. I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.”

The celebrations were “one of the most memorable nights of my life,” she said.

No photos from the outing are known to exist, but the future Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret’s night out was reenacted in the sixth and final season of The Crown as flashback sequences. Actresses Viola Prettejohn and Beau Gadsdon portrayed the royal sisters.

On the 75th anniversary of VE Day in 2020, Queen Elizabeth gave a speech to lead the nation in remembrance.

“At the start, the outlook seemed bleak, the end distant, the outcome uncertain. But we kept faith that the cause was right — and this belief, as my father noted in his broadcast, carried us through,” the monarch said. “Never give up, never despair — that was the message of VE Day.”

King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday at a Service of Thanksgiving held at Westminster Abbey.

The service began moments after 12 p.m. local time with two minutes of silent reflection to remember the sacrifices and heroism of the armed forces and the stoicism of ordinary people during World War II.

The royals laid wreaths and flowers as well as met with some veterans in attendance at the event.

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