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Londoners unbowed by blasts
10/07/2005 18:14 - (SA)
London - Tens of thousands of people swarmed to the gates of Buckingham Palace to mark the 60th anniversary of World War II on Sunday, just three days after Londoners suffered the deadliest terror attack in British history.
Britons, many of them waving flags, marched behind veterans and bandsmen who followed Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip, the pair standing in and waving from an open-top, four-wheel drive vehicle.
The pair later joined family members gathered on the main balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a World War-II era flypast by a Spitfire and Hurricane fighters as well as a Lancaster bomber, which dropped one million red poppies on the mall.
In a speech earlier to 2 000 veterans at the nearby Horseguards Palace, the queen paid tribute to those who have lost their lives to save the world from tyranny.
She said their sacrifice was not in vain as the conflict had led to the creation of the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the European Union.
"Sadly we cannot claim that the world has been free from war or terror for the last 60 years but in Europe at least we have been faithful to all those who lost their lives in that great struggle," the queen said.
"It does not surprise me that during the present difficult days for London people took to the example set by those of resilience, humour and sustained courage, often under conditions of great depravation," she said.
"That example and those memories should be kept alive by the younger generation as they in turn strive to keep the peace in our troubled world," she said.
- AFP
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