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00:00Let's cross live to Portsmouth to talk to our correspondent who joins us
00:04from there. It is a highly emotional day there, isn't it? Yes, welcome
00:13to Portsmouth, Portsmouth that is very much gearing up for this 80th
00:18anniversary of the D-Day landings, also known as the Normandy landings,
00:23where over 136,000 troops, British and Allied troops, a lot of
00:28Commonwealth troops, American troops, some French, Australian and
00:32others, set sail on what was a window in the weather and on 7,000
00:40vessels and invaded, well, began to invade Normandy on five different
00:48beaches. It was Operation Overlord, the start of Operation Overlord. It
00:53took many months before the liberation of Paris and more months
00:57than that to actually get over and have that victory over the Nazis in
01:04Germany, Hitler's Germany. So a very emotional time, because although it
01:09was very successful, there were 5,000 of the Allied troops that were
01:14injured, that were wounded and 4,400 men that were killed. We will hear
01:19today from veterans, they will be absolutely at the centre, those that
01:24are left, because of course they are 98, 99 or 100 or even older. It is
01:29so humbling and extraordinary to listen to this testimony. What they
01:33want above all is that legacy to be remembered and they want to pass that
01:38baton of remembrance to current generations and future ones. I
01:43mentioned Dame Helen Mirren who will be playing a large part in this, but
01:47all sorts of other people and organisations involved as well in the
01:51programme today, of course. Indeed, we will have, of course, a fly pass to
01:58kick everything off. We will have lots of songs, we will have readings.
02:02Readings, testimony from veterans, from British veterans, from American
02:07veterans. Some VTs, as they are called, so we will get short reports on,
02:13for example, codebreakers. Codebreakers across the country,
02:17particularly in Bletchley Park, that were absolutely significant in
02:21speeding up the end of the war, that victory over Nazis. The SOE, the
02:27Special Operations Executive, as it was wanted by Winston Churchill, that
02:31were there to have all kinds of sabotage tactics across France but
02:36also across other northern European countries. We will have a reading
02:41from the King, King Charles. It is his biggest event since his diagnosis
02:46of cancer. He wanted to be here, he will be here, along with his wife
02:50Queen Camilla. We will also have a reading from the heir to the throne,
02:55his eldest son, Prince William. And we will also have a reading from the
03:00Prime Minister, taking a break, of course, because we have a general
03:04election campaign. Indeed, he took part in a head-to-head with the
03:08opposition leader last night, but the Prime Minister will be here
03:12before both the King, Queen Camilla and Rishi Sunak go to those very
03:17important memories and ceremonies across France tomorrow, particularly
03:22in Normandy, with President Macron.