The Queen on VE day, seventy years on

She is the last of the famous five who stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on May 8th 1945 to acknowledge the cheering crowds who had come to celebrate the end of the war. Princess Elizabeth, as she then was, waved alongside her parents and sister as 'we four' gathered round Winston Churchill to share the joy of thousands on that most historic of nights. And today, seventy years on, she has lit a flame of hope to mark this very special anniversary. Seven decades on, the Queen is still at the heart of VE Day.

The Queen lights a beacon at Windsor Castle on the 70th anniversary of VE Day

Elizabeth II lit the flames on at the Cambridge Gate at Windsor Castle, the first of over 200 beacons that will come to life across the UK this evening to mark this anniversary like no other. She was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and by her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice of York.

HM The Queen lights the beacon for #VEDay70 pic.twitter.com/xjLaNGTvQW

— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) May 8, 2015

It is the pinnacle of a day of commemorations which is just the first of three across the weekend to mark seven decades since the end of World War Two. On Sunday, the Queen will lead her family at a national service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey. And today, the Duke of York represented her at a ceremony at the Cenotaph.

The Duke of York lays a wreath on behalf of the Queen at the Cenotaph on the 70th anniversary of VE Day, May 8th 2015

(photo British Monarchy Instagram)

The duke laid a wreath, in the presence of veterans of World War Two, following a two minute silence at 3pm - the exact time that Churchill announced in 1945 that the war had ended. Also in Whitehall were the newly re-elected Prime Minister, David Cameron, and his now defeated rivals Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg who had both resigned as leaders of their respective parties just hours earlier but who were carrying out one last duty before leaving the stage. 

View image | gettyimages.com

Their time as leaders may have been brief. But no one can compare to the Queen when it comes to longevity as a public figurehead and a symbol of stability. The young princess who waved from the balcony before slipping off with her sister into the crowds to join the dancing is now a Head of State with over six decades of experience under her belt. Buckingham Palace released rare audio of the Queen talking about the VE Day celebrations to mark this special anniversary.

To mark #VEDay70, we have some rare audio of The Queen recounting her memories of the day: http://t.co/UDmkHup2mr pic.twitter.com/7AIb8yI3Hv

— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) May 8, 2015

When it was suggested that she may miss VE Day commemorations because of potential political negotations in the event of no clear winner in the election there were calls from across the country for the Queen to be there and the politicians to skip. It wasn't an issue in the end. And seven decades on from that one amazing night, it is the Queen who is keeping the flame of memory alive. She is the last of that famous five but she embodies the spirit that filled that balcony on May 8th 1945. Elizabeth, a princess turned historic monarch, is at the heart of Britain's VE Day commemorations.