Red, white, and blue will fill the skies today – and no, it’s not Boris’ new government jet…
We’ve been a little deprived of classic British pomp and circumstance during the lockdown, what with the cancellation of the Queen’s birthday gun salutes and a much-reduced VE celebration. However, the famous Red Arrows – for whom carefully-planned social distancing is a day job – are on hand to provide a little entertainment, as they’ll be flying over Central London this evening at 5pm.
The Red Arrows are in town to coincide with a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron, who’s here to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s BBC broadcast to occupied France after the Nazi invasion in 1940, widely believed to have helped spark the French resistance. June 18 is a vital date in joint French-British history, and Macron will meet UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to commemorate the joint war efforts, as well as holding talks on the coronavirus pandemic and travel between the two countries.
VE Day flypast by the Red Arrows seen from Blackfriars Bridge pic.twitter.com/rdFzJDJPRh
— London SE1 Community Website (@se1) May 8, 2020
The Red Arrows, last seen over London for the 75th anniversary of VE Day last month (see above), will be approaching from the south-west – zooming over Richmond Park at around 4:58pm, and flying over Horse Guards Parade at 5pm sharp. Somewhat excitingly, they’ll be flying alongside their French counterparts, the Patrouille de France, making this display one for the books. As you might have noticed, the weather isn’t exactly playing ball, but the patented red, white, and blue flypast should hopefully be visible through the rain – just remember to walk or cycle if you’re planning on heading out to see them!