SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

FeaturesKing Charles III

Royal tributes to Dame Vera Lynn who has died at the age of 103

Dame Vera Lynn

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have led royal tributes to Dame Vera Lynn who has died at the age of 103.

Dame Vera, whose songs kept morale going during World War Two, passed away early on June 18th 2020.

The official social media accounts of Clarence House were the first to post tributes following the announcement of her death. Sharing images of the singer with both Charles and Camilla as well as a photo of her collecting her Damehood in 1975, the message read ‘Remembering Dame Vera Lynn’.

Dame Vera had a long association with the Royal Family.

In recent weeks, her most famous tune ‘’We’ll Meet Again’’ became the inspiration for a stirring line in the Queen’s speech to the nation at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dame Vera was born on March 20th 1917 in East Ham and became known as the Forces Sweetheart during World War Two. She had her own radio programme, Sincerely Yours, and joined ENSA, travelling to outdoors concerts overseas to boost the morale of troops fighting in places including Egypt and India. As well as ‘’We’ll Meet Again’’, songs including ‘’The White Cliffs of Dover’’ became emblems of the conflict.

Her career continued in the post war years and she had her own TV programmes as well as a string of number one hits around the world. She was made a Dame for services to charity thirty years after the end of World War Two.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.