{"id":14361,"date":"2025-05-08T19:35:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-08T19:35:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/?p=14361"},"modified":"2025-05-08T19:35:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-08T19:35:20","slug":"sierra-leones-diplomatic-presence-at-historic-ve-day-commemoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/?p=14361","title":{"rendered":"SIERRA LEONE\u2019S DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE AT HISTORIC VE DAY COMMEMORATION:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Deputy High Commissioner Joins World Leaders at Westminster Abbey to Mark 80 Years Since WWII Victory in Europe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

London, May 8, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to the United Kingdom, Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh, today attended a solemn *Thanksgiving Service* at *Westminster Abbey* to mark *the 80th Anniversary of Victory (VE) Day* \u2014 a day that commemorates the end of World War II in Europe and honours the immense sacrifices made during the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service, held in one of the UK\u2019s most historic religious landmarks, formed the centrepiece of a nationwide commemoration. It was attended by His Majesty King Charles III, Her Majesty Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and other senior members of the Royal Family, along with political leaders including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and representatives from 138 countries, underscoring the global significance of the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Westminster Abbey service included a two-minute national silence, symbolic readings \u2014 including one by Alexander Churchill, a great-great-grandson of wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill \u2014 and *a wreath-laying ceremony* at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking after the event, Mrs. Odigboh acknowledged the importance of Sierra Leone\u2019s presence at such a historic gathering. \u201cThis was a powerful reminder of the global effort that led to peace in Europe 80 years ago,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was an honour to stand in solidarity with the international community in remembrance and hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s occasion spanned a week-long series of events, including a grand *Military Parade* and *Flypast* in central London attended by the Royal Family and World War II veterans. Across the UK, community events ranged from Royal British Legion *tea parties* to illuminated landmarks, with Her Majesty Queen Camilla visiting the *Tower of London* to view a commemorative display of nearly 30,000 ceramic poppies. placing the final poppy in the installation, titled \u201cThe Tower Remembers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were also cultural and educational initiatives such as the \u201cBeyond Victory\u201d season at Westminster Abbey and exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum, offering opportunities for public reflection and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 80th anniversary of VE Day served not only as a memorial to the past but as a renewed call for global unity, peace, and resilience in an increasingly complex world. Sierra Leone\u2019s participation in this major international event reaffirmed its commitment to diplomacy, peacebuilding, and historical remembrance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abdulai Braima<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information Attach\u00e9<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Deputy High Commissioner Joins World Leaders at Westminster Abbey to Mark 80 Years Since WWII Victory in Europe London, May 8, 2025. The Deputy High Commissioner of Sierra Leone to the United Kingdom, Mrs. Yvonne King Odigboh, today attended a solemn *Thanksgiving Service* at *Westminster Abbey* to mark *the 80th Anniversary of Victory (VE) Day*…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14364,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14361\/revisions\/14364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.slhc-uk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}