Princess Anne joins Bayeux procession to mark D-Day

The Princess Royal joined the procession at Bayeux to mark D-Day.

She joined veterans and their families at the Royal British Legion’s service of commemoration. Before the service, she spoke to Don Jones, 99, who served in the Royal Navy. He later said, “I was in the Royal Navy on a tank landing craft, we took tanks and materials across and were dropping them off on Sword Beach. Then the following two months we were backwards and forwards with materials.”

There was a minute of silence to remember the fall, and several readings were given. Princes Anne read from the diary of Sub-Lieutenant Keith Symons, her husband’s uncle.

Recalling the evening of 5th June in his memoirs, he wrote, “At last it was time for our briefing. Our confidence was dented by predictions that casualties in the first wave were likely to be heavy. Everyone was quite subdued, but it was all very matter-of-fact. They were in those days. After supper we sat around making light conversation and listening to the chaplain playing his violin. My cabin companion was a Captain in the Green Howards, a charming man who had been a solicitor before the war. We talked about what we would do when the war was over. Sadly he was killed in France only a few weeks later.”