VE Day: Royal expert spots Princess Anne's beautiful tribute to late Queen

That's all for our VE Day updates for now, you can read all the latest and greatest on the Express.co.uk homepage.

Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams explained to the Express why King Charles did not wear any medals during Monday's events.

"In a touching tribute to his grandfather, King George VI, King Charles wore his naval uniform without medals and decorations," he said.

“The appearance paid homage to the famous balcony appearance by the Royal Family on VE Day 1945."

Read the full story here.

In addition to national UK commemorations, Members of the Royal Family will attend events to mark Liberation anniversaries, on behalf of His Majesty The King.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the official commemoration of the Liberation of Denmark on Sunday, May 4.

From Friday 9th to Saturday, May 10, the Princess Royal, accompanied by Sir Tim Laurence will visit the Channel Islands to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Guernsey and Sark.

Pubs will be allowed to stay open until 1am on the 80th anniversary of VE Day so Brits can "raise a toast to veterans," according to the Government.

Venues which normally close at 11pm will be allowed to stay open 2 hours later.

Downing Street said it would give a “welcome boost” to the hospitality industry.

Ukrainian troops joined UK forces in London yesterday for the procession from Whitehall to Buckingham Palace.

The march saw 1,300 members of the British armed forces accompanied by Ukrainian personnel who are currently training in the UK as part of Operation Interflex.

The Ministry of Defence said this act of solidarity highlights the support for Ukraine amid the ongoing war against Russia.

Poppies are a symbol of remembrance for those who died in wars. While most commonly worn in November, many people choose to wear poppies on VE Day to honour the fallen.

During WW1 in Western Europe, the countryside was bombed and fought over repeatedly. Beautiful landscapes were turned to mud where little or nothing could grow.

However, there was a notable exception to the bleakness - the bright red Flanders poppies. These flowers flourished in the middle of the war, growing in the thousands upon thousands.

Wednesday

On 7 May, a concert will take place in Westminster Hall in central London.

The 100-strong UK Parliament choir will perform, which will feature classical music from across Europe and America.

The theme of the evening will be peace and reconciliation. The choir will be accompanied by Sinfonia Smith Square and the concert will feature special guests and reflections on the announcement of peace 80 years ago.

Thursday

On the actual VE Day anniversary date, a service of thanksgiving will be held at Westminster Abbey, followed by a concert in Horse Guards Parade later that evening.

This will include readings and music, as well as a revival of the classic wartime show, Dad’s Army.

At the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the Royal British Legion will host a tea party for WWII veterans and their families.

In Northern Ireland, a parade of 80 drummers will march along Church Street in Enniskillen.

Across the UK, pubs will be allowed to stay open for an extra two hours so that Brits can celebrate until 1am to mark the occasion.

On Monday 5, the, skies over central London were painted red, white and blue as the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows soared over the capital for the flypast.

Alongside the Red Arrows, 23 military aircraft including current and historic military planes such as a Voyager transport aircraft, a P8 surveillance aircraft as well as Typhoon and F-35 fighter jets flew over The Mall and Buckingham Palace following a military procession.

The Royal Family watched from the balcony, as thousands of Brits gathered in the streets.

There will be over 780 VE Day activites and events across the UK and Commonwealth, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport's VE-VJ Day wesbite.

National and local events will be taking place throughout the week, which can be found on the government's interactive map here.

VE Day, short for Victory in Europe Day, commemorates the end of World War Two in Europe.

On May 8, 1945, then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced Germany's surrender, officially ending the war in Europe.

The United Kingdom will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on Thursday.

On Monday, the Royal Family joined Second World War veterans to watch the military procession and flypast. The King and Queen then hosted a Tea Party for veterans and members of the Second World War generation at Buckingham Palace.

Tuesday

- The Queen will view a new display of ceramic poppies at The Tower of London.

Thursday

- The Royal Family will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey.

- The King and Queen will attend a live celebratory concert from Horse Guards Parade.

Click here to read more about what the Royal Family will be doing this week.

Historic landmarks will be illuminated tonight from 9pm, shining bright throughout the evening.

Eighty-three monuments, buildings and attractions across the UK will be lit up, glowing red, white and blue.

This includes London bridges, such as London and Millennium Bridge, as well as seafronts, such as in Blackpool and Weston-super-Mare.

Brits will be able to watch the lights on Sky News with live helicopter shots capturing the scenes.

Today, 30,000 ceramic poppies will be displayed in the Tower of London. The art installation originally featured in Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, an artwork created to mark the centenary of WW1 and included 888,246 poppies at the castle.

Royal Historic Palaces (RHP) said the poppies "will pour across the lawn overlooked by the ancient White Tower, where the blood-red flowers will form a crater, with ripples flowing outwards".

The public will be able to see a small section of the display for free from the footpath. However, a general admission ticket will be required to enter the Tower of London.

The exhibition will run until Armistice Day on 11 November.

Princess Anne channelled the late Queen’s VE Day outfit from 1945, wearing the military uniform with no decorations in honour of her position as Commandant-in-Chief of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal’s Volunteer Corps).

This was the same as her later mother, who donned the same outfit for the Buckingham Palace Balcony appearance on VE Day 80 years ago.

Good morning! Welcome to our live blog on the second day of VE Day celebrations. We'll bring you the latest updates throughout the day.