Extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrills crowds as giant Spitfire and battleship appear in the skies - as fireworks wow veterans over in Normandy

Last night's extraordinary D-Day 80th anniversary drone display above Portsmouth thrilled crowds as a giant Spitfire and battleship appeared in the skies.

Commemorations took place in the Hampshire city and Normandy for the landings on June 6.

The spectacular displays were broadcast on a BBC special programme which left viewers emotional as it marked 80 years since the Allied forced began the liberation of Europe.

On this day in 1944, Operation Overlord was launched and saw tens of thousands of soldiers embark from Portsmouth to cross the Channel, establishing a foothold across the French coast.

More than 150,000 troops would land on five beaches in Normandy.

A tribute to the fallen took place in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Bayeux War Cemetery in Normandy and Southsea Common in Portsmouth featuring stunning light displays, readings and music to mark the significant moment.

Each of the 4,600 headstones of those that fell were be individually illuminated across Bayeux War Cemetery.

The drones in Portsmouth traced the words 'I can remember...' in the sky as recordings of veterans were played. 

They then morphed into silhouettes of a soldier, a letter being written, a paper aeroplane, spitfire and a boat.

Those that watched the light show were stunned, with one saying on X: 'Popped into Portsmouth to watch the #DDay80 drone show and I was not disappointed

Others called it 'breathtaking,' 'tear jerking' and a 'lovely tribute'.

One posted: 'Beautiful drone light show to round off a fantastic day, remembering D-Day 80 years on. Today's technology is just incredible.'

A third said: 'It was so lovely to hear my late grandfathers voice during the wonderful drone display at the end of this evening's BBC D-Day80 Tribute to the Fallen from Normandy and Portsmouth. He never forgot the comrades who never came home.'

It came after The Prince of Wales, 41, joined King Charles and Queen Camilla at the earlier event in Portsmouth yesterday afternoon.

After delivering a moving speech to veterans and leading politicians, William met with members of the public - including war hero who asked after his wife amid her ongoing cancer treatment.

In footage posted on X, the Prince is seen telling him: 'She is better, thanks. She would've loved to be here today.'

The royal went on to reveal how he had been speaking with women who worked at Bletchley Park as codebreakers along with Kate's grandmother Valerie Middleton.

Camilla was overcome with emotion today as a D-Day veteran recounted the horror of losing his best friend on the beaches of Normandy 80 years ago.

Tears welled up in the Queen's eyes as former Royal Navy serviceman Eric Bateman recalled his experience on Utah beach - while King Charles also appeared visibly moved.

Mr Bateman, who served on the warship HMS Erebus, described how you could 'walk across the Channel' because there were so many boats involved in the invasion.

And paying tribute to his fallen comrades, he said: 'So many men and women, including my dear friend Fred, joined up with me but unfortunately never made it.'

Charles and Camilla joined the Prince of Wales, leading UK politicians and veterans at a major event in Portsmouth, where the King gave his first public speech since being diagnosed with cancer.

He told the crowd: 'The stories of courage, resilience and solidarity we have heard today and throughout our lives cannot fail to move us, to inspire us and to remind us of what we owe to that great wartime generation.'