Prince Philip, 99, is joining his son and grandson in commemorating VJ Day (Victory in Japan Day) on Aug. 15. The Duke of Edinburgh will be featured in a montage, which will be beamed across the country on the big screen.
The Queen's husband, who retired from public office in 2017, is one of the few living war veterans in the British royal navy. The Duke of Edinburgh was on the HMS Whelp stationed in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered during the Second World War.
Prince Philip's eldest son, Prince Charles, will also be commemorating VJ Day at the National Memorial Arboretum. The heir to the throne will lead a two-minute silence to honor the war heroes and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will, reportedly, be by his side.
Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, will observe VJ Day via a BBC program to be aired after the ceremonies. Prince William pre-recorded the tribute show World War Two Allied Forces.
Captain Sir Tom Moore, the centenarian recently knighted by Queen Elizabeth, will also participate in one of the public commemorations. He said that he hopes the public will stop and give a few minutes of their time to remember the fallen heroes and the veterans. Moore was in Burma when the Japanese forces surrendered. He served the 82nd Division.
Around 71,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers sacrificed their lives during the war with Japan. The troops in the Far East were the last to return to Britain after the war.
Meanwhile, Prince Philip is, currently, in isolation at Balmoral, Scotland with Queen Elizabeth. Strict protocols are observed in the Queen's summer home to prevent a virus infection.
Two weeks ago, the royal briefly made a public appearance at the Windsor Castle grounds during a ceremony to turn over one of his military roles to Camilla. The Duchess of Cornwall is now the new Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifles.
Prince Philip held the honorary role for more than 60 years. The rare engagement gave the public a glimpse of the Duke of Edinburgh, who still appears in good health despite his age and hospitalization last December 2019.
Prince Philip was also at the royal wedding of Princess Beatrice to Edoardo Mappeli Mozzi on July 17 in Windsor. The York princess had only 30 guests for her scaled-down wedding and insiders said she didn't want Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to miss her most special day.
