The royal family come together with veterans to mark 80 years since VE Day as they look to shift the focus from Prince Harry’s latest explosive interview

Solemnly remembering the sacrifices of those who died in the Second World War, the King and Queen are joined on the balcony at Buckingham Palace by (from left) the Princess Royal, the Prince of Wales, Prince George, Prince Louis, the Princess of Wales and Princess Charlotte

‘THERE IS ZERO TRUST. THE FAMILY FEEL THAT PRIVATE TALKS WITH HARRY ARE NOT POSSIBLE’

The Duke of Sussex (above) gives an explosive interview to the BBC; a new photo of his son (left) marks Prince Archie’s sixth birthday last week; Their Majesties wave to crowds from the palace balcony (above right); and William and Kate play their part (below right)

Showing a united front on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they honoured our greatest generation, the royal family looked to the future, as well as the past, while they led national commemorations to mark 80 years since VE Day.

The King and his family lined up to watch a spectacular flypast after joining Second World War veterans for a military procession at the beginning of four days of events to mark the poignant anniversary.

They had been determined to honour the brave souls who fought and died for the country and those who survived to tell the tale, keeping their focus firmly on the veterans despite incoming fire from the Duke of Sussex in California.

Just three days before the royals gathered, Prince Harry had given an extraordinary interview to the BBC in which he revealed: “I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff. It would be nice to reconcile.”

The Duke spoke out after losing an appeal against a decision to downgrade his security provision when he left the UK.

Alongside his pleas for reconciliation with his estranged family, he continued to suggest that the King could have changed the outcome of his case. Saying that it felt like an “establishment stitch-up”, he then appeared to refer to the tragic death of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, claiming that some people wanted “history to repeat itself”.

In comments that a former friend of the Duke described to hello! as “delusional”, he said he had forgiven his family’s “involvement” in his situation, adding: “My father, my brother and my stepmother, I can forgive.”

“He needs the world to forgive him,” the source said. “His family have never bent on their stance, which is that he should not take up issues in public.”