09/05/2005

Queen marks Channel Islands liberation

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have visited Guernsey to celebrate the liberation of the Channel Islands from Nazi occupation 60 years ago.

During the visit, the Queen will meet with islanders who lived through the occupation, as well as forces veterans.

The Queen will also unveil a commemorative stone on the island, before the Royal Couple fly to Jersey to be the guests of honour at a son et lumiere fireworks display in the capital, St Helier.

The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by the Nazis in the Second World War. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had considered them indefensible and German troops invaded in June and July 1940 after British troops had been withdrawn.

The visit to the islands by the Queen and Prince Phillip follows the 60th commemoration of VE Day yesterday. Prince Charles led the commemoration at the relatively low-key event, by laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.

In Moscow today, Russian President Vladimir Putin was joined by a number of world leaders, including US president George W. Bush, French president Jacque Chirac and German Chancellor Gerard Schroeder to mark the 60th anniversary of VE Day.

The occasion was marked with a massive parade in Red Square, followed by the laying of wreaths at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Russia suffered heavy losses in the Second World War, with over 27 million people killed. A total of 50 million people died in the war, which ended on May 8, 1945.

The commemoration in Russia was overshadowed with controversy, however, as the leaders of Baltic nations Estonia and Lithuania stayed away from the event, reportedly because of a belief that the end of World War II marked the beginning of their occupation by the Soviet government.

(KMcA/GB)


Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

01 February 2013
Argentina Reject Invite To Talks With Falklands
A Foreign Office invitation for Argentina to meet with members of the Falkland Islands government in London next week, has been turned down. "The international community does not recognise a third party in this dispute," the country’s foreign minister, Hector Timerman said, rejecting the offer.
21 June 2011
All Island Approach To Open Up Renewables Opportunities
Ministers from the UK, Republic of Ireland, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have signed up to a historic deal to cooperate on exploiting the major wind and marine resource in and around the islands. The states involved agreed to co-operate in the All Islands Approach to energy at this afternoon's British Irish Council in London.
05 August 2011
Public Name New Neighbourhoods In Olympic Park
Five new residential areas that will be built on the future Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have been named following a public competition. Almost 2,000 people submitted their suggestions to the Olympic Park Legacy Company, inspired by factors such as the future design for the area, its history or the Games themselves.
03 July 2006
NHS to no longer recruit junior foreign nurses
The NHS should no longer hire junior nurses from abroad, the government has announced. The role of Band 5 nurses is to be taken off the Home Office shortage occupation list. The role had been on the list in order to support international recruitment where NHS trusts have been unable to fill vacancies using UK or EEA trained staff.
03 January 2013
Argentina Repeat Call For Return Of Falkland Islands
Argentina’s president has again called on the UK to return the Falkland Islands, a call strongly rebuffed by Downing St. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner had urged UK Prime Minister David Cameron to abide by a 1965 UN resolution to "negotiate a solution" to the dispute.