VE Day in pictures: 18 powerful and evocative images that capture the joy of May 8, 1945
Tomorrow, it will have been 80 years since the Second World War in Europe came to an end, after six long, bloody years. Country Life looks back on a remarkable day in history.


On May 8, one minute after midnight, Sir Winston Churchill, the then Prime Minister, announced the end to War in Europe. In the ensuing hours, millions of people, in the UK and abroad, rejoiced in the news that Germany had surrendered — relieved that the intense strain of total war was finally over.
An estimated one million people filled the streets of London on May 8, 1945.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill waves to a crowd of 50,000 full with the spirit of VE day from the balcony of the Ministry of Health in London.
Ecstatic crowds in Westminster. People dressed in red, white and blue and lit symbolic bonfires to mark the end to blackouts.
Young children in bomb scarred Battersea with their Union Jack flags.
One of the lions in Trafalgar Square is swamped by revellers.
British girls, of the Picture Division of the London Office of War Information, dance in the street with American soldiers in London.
The then King and Queen, the two Princesses and Churchill greet people assembled in front of Buckingham Palace. Princess Elizabeth wore the khaki uniform of the Auxiliary Territorial Services (ATS). Her only daughter, Princess Anne, wore largely the same uniform on May 5, 2025, for an RAF flypast which formed part of the 80th anniversary celebrations.
People brandishing the UK and US flags in Piccadilly.
A Dufaycolor colour transparency of Trafalgar Square, taken by an unknown photographer. Nelson's Column is draped in bunting and decorated with the flags of the Allied Powers.
A street party near Clapham Common.
Mrs Pat Burgess of Palmer's Green, in north London, is thrilled to get the news that her husband will soon be home for good.
Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) is greeted by crowds as she tours the East End of London on the day after VE Day (May 9).
St Paul's Cathedral is illuminated with brilliant light during victory celebrations.
Photos taken abroad
In Paris, a soldier is smothered with kisses by jubilant women.
A VE Day parade makes its way through the heart of New York City in the US.
An enduring image: while a crowd watches on, US military men kiss women in New York's Times Square.
Soldiers read of victory while standing next to a German 88mm gun at Verdun, France.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
A home of horticultural and architectural grandeur for sale near Banbury
Reception and bedrooms on the inside, garden rooms by Lanning Roper on the outside.
-
Centipedes, honeybees and tall churches: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 19, 2025
Counting legs, measuring spires and more questions about Tom Cruise kick off the quiz of the week
-
Centipedes, honeybees and tall churches: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 19, 2025
Counting legs, measuring spires and more questions about Tom Cruise kick off the quiz of the week
-
Tom Cruise's big break, and the English countryside's greatest painting: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 16, 2025
A Hollywood superstar, a daring thief and an iconic scene of English life come together in our final quiz of this week.
-
M*A*S*H*, Myosis and the Montgolfiers: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 15, 2025
Try your luck at Thursday's quiz.
-
The most picturesque town in Scotland, and did someone survive a fall from 33,333ft? Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 14, 2025
Wednesday's quiz brings a very tall tale to the table.
-
Name that dog: Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 13, 2025
One of Britain's most picturesque streets and Tom Brown's school find their way in to Tuesday's quiz.
-
Country Life 7 May 2025
The May 7, 2025, issue of Country Life is a patriotic celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, plus much, much more.
-
Britain's longest suspension bridge? Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 12, 2025
Friday's Quiz of the Day celebrates a northern landmark.
-
Angels, kings and fluffy bunnies; Country Life Quiz of the Day, May 9, 2025
Friday's Quiz of the Day celebrates a northern landmark.