The Princess Royal has visited Guernsey to attend commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the island.
Princess Anne met with islanders who lived through the German Occupation and heard stories from Liberation Day 80 years ago.
At a church service on Friday morning, she said: “I am delighted to return to Guernsey and thank you for inviting me to join you as you celebrate Liberation Day and remember those who lived through occupation or deportation.”
On Saturday, she is due to visit Sark as part of its Liberation Day celebrations.
In a speech, the Princess Royal told the crowds King Charles III sent his “warmest greetings” to the people of the islands.
The King also passed on his “fond memories” of the “wonderfully generous welcome” islanders gave when he visited Guernsey and Sark with Queen Camilla last year.
‘We were starving’
Winnie Keyho was six when the war ended.
Now 85, she met the princess and told her about the first time she saw chocolate.
Mrs Keyho said: “Food wise we were starving, we really were. We were so glad to see the Canadian food parcels.
“We’d never had chocolate in our life and there was chocolate in the parcels, so it was really lovely.”
She also recalled crying herself to sleep when her father told her off for taking chewing gum from a German soldier.
‘Never ever forget’
Sally Robert, 64, wrote the poem that was read for Princess Anne based on a letter from her father-in-law to his mother during the war.
She said: “It feels amazing! I saw an advert that they were asking for memorabilia of the occupation and I’d already written a poem about my late father.
“To my surprise they said they were going to read it to the Princess, so it’s an honour really.”
She added: “I think we can never ever forget and remember all the stories we’ve been told.”
Jeff Nicolson, 83, who lives close to the Miras Battery where the Princess Royal visited, said her arrival came as a shock.
“It was a bit of a surprise, we only knew half an hour before.
“We weren’t exactly ready for it, shall we say!”
