In a poignant celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, the Tower of London has been reimagined in a cinematic installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies. The brilliant red flowers, a national symbol of commemoration in Britain, cascade down from the ancient White Tower, representing the lives lost in World War II.
The tribute exhibit was opened as part of national celebrations marking the victory of the end of the Second World War in Europe on May 8, 1945, after Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered. Queen Camilla made an appearance at the installation on Tuesday, during which she also met with personnel, placed her own poppy on the exhibit, and paid tribute to the sacrifice of war veterans.
Designer Tom Piper, who worked on the project with artist Paul Cummins, said the field of poppies was a visual representation of those who died in the war. The installation is reminiscent of the highly acclaimed 2014 “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red” display, which commemorated the centenary of World War I and was visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
On Monday, Queen Camilla marched alongside King Charles III, Prince William, and other members of the royal family in a military parade and flypast outside Buckingham Palace, along with veterans and onlookers.
The Tower of London, a 950-year-old fortress on the River Thames, was bombed during World War II. Its use in the VE Day commemorations highlights its place in the collective memory of the nation.
The new exhibition will stay open to the public until Remembrance Day, November 11 giving visitors a chance to pay tribute to the dead and consider the long-lasting legacy of peace achieved by war.
The installation is just one part of the UK government’s wider sequence of memorial events and is an effective visual reminder of the price paid during one of history’s darkest periods.
