Extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrills crowds as giant Spitfire and battleship appear in the skies – as fireworks wow veterans over in Normandy

The extraordinary drone show to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day over Portsmouth thrilled the crowds as a giant Spitfire and battleship appeared in the sky.

Commemorations for the June 6 landings took place in the Hampshire and Normandy towns.

The spectacular displays were broadcast on a BBC special program that left viewers emotional as it marked 80 years since the Allies began the liberation of Europe.

On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord was launched, with tens of thousands of soldiers embarking from Portsmouth to cross the Channel and gain a foothold along the French coast.

More than 150,000 troops would land on five beaches in Normandy.

A tribute to the fallen took place at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Bayeux War Cemetery in Normandy and Southsea Common in Portsmouth, with stunning light shows, talks and music to mark this important moment.

The drones in Portsmouth tracked the words “I remember…” in the air as recordings of veterans were played

The extraordinary drone show to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day over Portsmouth thrilled the crowd as a giant Spitfire appeared in the sky

They also made a parachute, a letter, a paper airplane, a spitfire and a boat.

The drones then dramatically transformed into the silhouette of a soldier

Each of the 4,600 gravestones of those who fell was individually illuminated at the Bayeux War Cemetery.

The drones in Portsmouth tracked the words “I remember…” in the air as recordings of veterans were played.

They then turned into silhouettes of a soldier, a letter being written, a paper airplane, a spitfire, and a boat.

Those who watched the light show were amazed, with one saying on

Others called it ‘breathtaking’, ‘tear-jerking’ and a ‘beautiful tribute’.

One posted: ‘Beautiful drone light show to round off a fantastic day, remembering D-Day 80 years later. Today’s technology is just incredible.’

A third said: ‘It was so beautiful to hear my late grandfather’s voice during the beautiful drone show at the end of the BBC D-Day80 Tribute to the Fallen from Normandy and Portsmouth tonight. He never forgot the comrades who never came home.”

It came after the Prince of Wales, 41, joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at the earlier event in Portsmouth yesterday afternoon.

After giving a moving speech to veterans and leading politicians, William met the audience, including the war hero who asked about his wife during her ongoing cancer treatment.

Footage posted to X shows the prince telling him: “She is doing better, thank you. She would have liked to be here today.’

Viewers called it ‘breathtaking’, ‘tear-jerking’ and a ‘beautiful tribute’

Drones make a bird shape during a drone display telling the story of D-Day

A D-Day themed drone display takes place above the Portsmouth Naval Memorial

Drones make a parachute during a drone show that tells the story of D-Day

One posted: ‘Beautiful drone light show to round off a fantastic day, remembering D-Day 80 years later. Today’s technology is simply incredible’

The royal went on to reveal how he had spoken to women working at Bletchley Park as codebreakers, along with Kate’s grandmother Valerie Middleton.

Camilla was overcome with emotion today as a D-Day veteran recounted the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago.

Tears welled up in the Queen’s eyes as former Royal Navy soldier Eric Bateman recalled his experience on the Utah beach – while King Charles also appeared visibly moved.

Mr Bateman, who served on the warship HMS Erebus, described how you could ‘walk the Channel’ because so many boats were involved in the invasion.

And in tribute to his fallen comrades, he said: “So many men and women, including my dear friend Fred, joined me but unfortunately never made it.”

Charles and Camilla joined the Prince of Wales in leading British politicians and veterans at a major event in Portsmouth, where the king made his first public speech since being diagnosed with cancer.

He told the crowd: “The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity that we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot help but move us, inspire us and remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.”

A British soldier photographs graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery in Bayeux, France

A British officer looks at illuminated graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery in Bayeux

The D-Day ceremonies on June 6 this year mark the 80th anniversary since the launch of ‘Operation Overlord’. A British soldier stands in front of the illuminated graves

Queen Camilla is overcome with emotion as a war veteran tells of the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches of Normandy

The King and Queen watched the proceedings from the Royal Box after Charles made his speech

D-Day veteran Eric Bateman speaks with his son-in-law Keith and great-granddaughters Annabel and Imogen

Battleship HMS Erebus of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1915, HMS Erebus entered active service a year later. One of the first major missions was a bombardment of Belgian ports where enemy warships were stationed, which seriously damaged the ship.