Palace releases rare, unseen photos of Queen Elizabeth

Royal family has shared never-before-seen photos of Queen Elizabeth with her parents and sister Princess Margaret to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

The Royal Collection Trust, in a joint post with the palace, shared the photos on Instagram.

The photos were posted with caption, “A moment of national celebration."

It said, “On this day 80 years ago, vast crowds gathered before Buckingham Palace for the Victory over Japan (VJ) Day celebrations, marking the end of the Second World War.”

It further says, “From the balcony, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, alongside their daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, waved to the jubilant public.

“King George VI recorded in his diary that they “went out to the Balcony 6 times during the afternoon & evening”, large crowds having amassed outside Buckingham Palace by 10am.”

On 19 August 1945, a Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul’s Cathedral, which was attended by the Royal Family.

Meanwhile, earlier King Charles also delivered an audio message to mark the historic occasion.

He said, “For the millions of families gathered around their wireless sets, and for their loved ones still serving far from home, it was the message a battle-weary world had long prayed for - ‘The war is over’.”