The day after Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally to Western and Russian forces, thus marking Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), Britons up and down the country rejoiced.
To mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day, the Imperial War Museum has released archive footage of the celebrations on the day.
The newsreel footage shows thousands of people flocking to the centre of London to celebrate the occasion. Huge crowds gathered around the gates of Buckingham Palace to see the royal family, including a young princess Elizabeth and prime minister Winston Churchill.
Footage courtesy of the Imperial War Museum
