Countess of Wessex Marks 70th Anniversary of the Channel Islands’ Liberation

On behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, the Countess of Wessex attended a commemoration during the seventieth anniversary of the liberation of the Channel Islands on May 9.

The Countess of Wessex delivered her speech at Footes Lane and watched a military parade and attended an open air church service. After her speech, the Countess visited the local residents of Weighbridge and unveiled a commemorative Liberation Day stone in Town. Later, she visit the nearby island of Jersey.

Liberation Day is an important event in Guernsey, which was occupied by the Nazis between 1940 and 1945. Thousands of children from the Channel Islands were evacuated to England and Scotland, and schools in Guernsey were re-established in the countries. Louisa Gould, who is viewed as “The British Hero of the Holocaust”, was sent to Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, where she later died, after sheltering a slaved worker. Four concentration camps were also built in Alderney.

Click here to read the Queen’s message.

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Anniversary, Guernsey, Liberation Day, The Countess of Wessex, World War II.