“‘Conga-ed into house. Sang till 2 a.m. Bed at 3 a.m.!’ ” King Charles quoted his mother’s diary entry about the evening, which made Prince William and Princess Kate smile

(Left) King Charles in London on May 8, 2025; (Right) Then-Princess Elizabeth in London on May 9, 1945.Credit : Ben Whitley – WPA Pool/Getty; The Print Collector/Heritage Images via Getty

King Charles wove excerpts from Queen Elizabeth’s personal diary — written when she was a 19-year-old princess celebrating VE Day in London — into his speech marking the 80th anniversary of the historic night.

On May 8, the King, 76, charmed the crowd at the VE Day 80: A Celebration to Remember concert at Horse Guards Parade in London. Charles was joined by Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton and other members of the royal family for the final national celebration commemorating the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which heralded the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945.

The King remembered how his grandfather, King George VI, announced to Britain and the Commonwealth that “the dreadful shadow of war has passed from our hearths and our homes,” and what then-Princess Elizabeth wrote about that night.

“The celebration that evening was marked by my own late mother who, just 19 years old, described in her diary how she mingled anonymously in the crowds across central London and, in her own words, ‘walked for miles’ among them,” King Charles said

“The rejoicing continued into the next day, when she wrote, ‘Out in the crowd again. Embankment, Piccadilly. Rained, so fewer people. Conga-ed into house. Sang till 2 a.m. Bed at 3 a.m.!’ ” he added. The diary entry made the audience of 12,000 laugh, and Prince William and Princess Kate smile.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I do hope your celebrations tonight are almost as joyful, although I rather doubt I shall have the energy to sing until 2 a.m., let alone for that matter to lead you all in a giant conga from here back to Buckingham Palace!” the King continued, and the audience laughed again.

Prince William and Kate Middleton attend a concert marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day at Horse Guards Parade in London on May 8, 2025.Chris Jackson/Getty

The future Queen Elizabeth and her younger sister Princess Margaret famously slipped into the crowd to celebrate on VE Day, short for Victory in Europe Day. Their father, King George VI, had announced via radio broadcast that World War II was over in Europe after six years of fighting and the princesses joined him on the balcony of Buckingham Palace multiple times to greet the cheering crowds gathered below.

They appeared there with their mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and British Prime Minister Winston Chruchill, who led the country through World War II.

Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, King George VI and Princess Margaret on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on VE Day, May 8, 1945.Reg Speller/Getty

That night, the royal sisters went out to join the revelry across the city, a scene reimagined in season 6 of The Crown on Netflix. The Independent reported that the princesses received permission from their parents to go out, and were escorted by a group of Grenadier Guards.

No photos from the outing are known to exist, but the palace released a previous recording of the Queen remembering the unforgettable evening.

The Queen said in the clip that she was part of a group of about 16 people and a fellow officer scolded her for pulling her uniform hat over her eyes in an attempt to disguise herself. Then-Princess Elizabeth served in a reserve unit during World War II and was also named Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

“We cheered the King and Queen on the balcony and then walked miles through the street. I remember lines of unknown people linking arms and walking down Whitehall, all of us just swept along on a tide of happiness and relief.”

It was “one of the most memorable nights of my life,” she said.