Courage and sacrifice of those who served in WW2 is a message for us all, says King
The King has commended the servicemen and women, some aged just 18, who served during the Second World War, saying what they did offers a timeless message for us all.
In his Christmas Day message, he said: "The end of the Second World War is remembered by fewer and fewer of us as the years pass, but the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge carry a timeless message for us all.
"These are the values which have shaped our country and the Commonwealth… as we hear of division both at home and abroad, they are the values of which we must never lose sight.
A theme of pilgrimage
"For instance, it is impossible not to be moved by the ages of the fallen as the gravestones in our cemeteries remind us… [that] the young people who fought and helped save us from defeat in both World Wars were often only 18, 19 or 20 years of age."
This year’s message was filmed at Westminster Abbey in accordance with the theme of pilgrimage. Pilgrims travel to the Abbey to visit the shrine of Edward The Confessor, who ruled England between 1042 and 1066.
"Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but… it has particular significance for our modern world and especially at Christmas," the King said.
"It is about journeying forward into the future, while also journeying back to remember the past and learn from its lessons.
"We did this during the summer as we celebrated the 80th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day."
A variety of commemorative services and events were held across the UK this summer to mark the 80th anniversaries of Victory in Europe Day and and Victory over Japan Day.
These included a military procession through central London, an installation of ceramic poppies at the Tower of London and a service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.
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