The Prince of Wales has touched down in Portsmouth to take part in the first of a number of events in the UK and France to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Prince William took his place in the royal box alongside military veterans shortly after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

The heir to the throne said he was “deeply honoured” to be at the historic D-Day event today, as he spoke to the veterans and guests at the event in Portsmouth.

He said: “I am deeply honoured to join you today to recognise the bravery of all of those like John Haddock who participated in the D-Day landings, the start of the liberation of France and Europe, that led to victory of the Allied Powers.

Prince William is at a D-Day event in Portsmouth (Image: Getty)

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“Our guests of honour today are those veterans from the Normandy landing, that came from across our nation and from all walks of life to join in the fight against tyranny.

“Many of those that took up arms had never seen combat before, some were still only in their teens.

Prince William chats to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (Image: Getty)

Prince William is wearing a new neck order today (Image: Getty)

“In their letters and diaries, we see their great strength.”

The Prince of Wales then delivered an extract from a letter by Captain Alastair Bannerman, a soldier who was part of the D-Day landings, to his wife and written in his diary on the morning of D-Day.

Veterans listened intently as William read the moving entry which was heavily detailed and rich with visual imagery.

He read: “The whole Channel between us and Cherbourg is filled with little ships which all quietly and efficiently sail towards France. The British, Canadian and American fighting forces on the war path.

“I do not believe that I can now write for very long. We can now see the French coast and very soon we will have to play our part.

“I must go now and look for the landing markings with my binoculars to ascertain our landing points. So, my darling, on we go! I know that you are with me. Au revoir, God bless, I love you!”

Today’s commemorations will be hosted by Dame Helen Mirren (Image: Getty)

Prince William gives moving speech at a D-Day event in Portsmouth (Image: Getty)

Prince William is set to attend various events in Normandy this week (Image: Getty)

William went on to tell those gathered that Captain Bannerman survived the landings and the war, despite being taken prisoner.

He returned home to his wife and sons in April the following year.

The prince concluded his speech by noting that “many never returned”, adding: “We will always remember those who served and those who waved them off. The mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters who watched their loved ones go into battle, unsure if they would ever return.

“Today we remember the bravery of those who crossed this sea to liberate Europe. Those who ensured that Operation Overlord was a success. And those who waited for their safe return.”

The heir to the throne looked smart in a navy suit which he paired with a crisp white shirt and a navy, red and white pinstriped tie.

Prince William speaks during the UK’s national commemorative event (Image: Getty)

Prince William greets Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty (Image: Getty)

For the first time today, William wore the Great Master of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath neck order, as well as his medals, including the ones for the Golden Jubilee, the Diamond Jubilee and the Platinum Jubilee as well as King Charles’s Coronation medal.

Prince William is joined by his father, King Charles and Queen Camilla at Southsea Common.

The heir to the throne is set to attend various events in Normandy this week, including a service hosted by Canada at Juno Beach and an international ceremony hosted by France at Omaha Beach which more than 25 heads of state will attend.

The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with the 1944 battle laying the foundation for an Allied victory.

Troops from the UK, the USA, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the beaches at Normandy in northern France on June 6, 1944.

The Prince of Wales is to be joined by King Charles and Queen Camilly (Image: Getty)

Prince William wears his medals and neck order (Image: Getty)

The RAF Red Arrows display team performs (Image: Getty)

Allied troops departed from Portsmouth on June 5, so the UK and French governments are hosting memorial events at both ports to commemorate the D-Day landings.

Today’s commemorations were hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, who formally introduced the event on Southsea Common at around 11am.

The event opened with a musical performance and a flypast of two historic Dakota military transport aircraft, widely used by the Allies during the Second World War and ended with a flypast by the Royal Air Force Red Arrows.

In the afternoon, tributes will move to the beaches of Normandy, where hundreds of allied defence personnel will parachute into a historic D-Day drop zone to commemorate the airborne invasion of 80 years ago.