WHEN I looked up at the Buckingham Palace balcony and saw the King with all the royal family, I thought how sad that our late Queen was not there.
Ever since May 8, 1945 — when Princess Elizabeth and sister Margaret slipped to join the VE Day celebrations — she was regarded by veterans as one of them.
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For that incredible Tuesday she and her sister had been just like the rest of those remarkable men and women, who were just relieved that this awful war was over.
No more living in fear of bombs and snipers.
No more putting up blackouts and a return to simple things like listening to the weather forecast.
World War II veterans adored Queen Elizabeth — she was one of the great generation — and wherever she met them, the world over, they had a special bond with their monarch.
I’m sure many of the veterans in London yesterday wished, like me, that she had been there for what will probably be the last time we will be able to say a heartfelt thank you on a grand scale like this.