Photo of Kate and children watching VE Day flypast up for award

3 Jun 2026 • 9:45 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Photo of Kate and children watching VE Day flypast up for award

A photograph of the Princess of Wales and her children watching a VE Day flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace is among the photographs up for an award decided by a public vote.

The picture is one of 21 chosen by a panel of judges from which people can vote for the photograph of the year at the annual UK Picture Editors Guild Awards.

It shows Kate, Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte leaning to one side to get a better view of the Red Arrows flypast that took place at the end of a military procession marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day on May 5 last year.

The King joins Second World War veteran Ruth Barnwell at a tea party in Buckingham Palace following the military procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Another shortlisted picture taken on the same day shows the King chatting with 101-year-old Second World War veteran Ruth Barnwell at a tea party in Buckingham Palace following the VE Day procession.

A photo of the Princess Royal coming across two sleeping farmers while she toured cattle stalls during a visit to the Royal Highland Show at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, Edinburgh, also made the shortlist.

A couple of farmers sleep as the Princess Royal tours the cattle stalls in the Highland Hall during a visit to the Royal Highland Show at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

A harrowing photograph showing the aftermath of the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester in October last year is among the works shortlisted.

There are also photos of former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner vaping on an inflatable boat, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch unwittingly pointing a gun at a soldier during a visit to Carver Barracks in her constituency in north-west Essex, golfer Rory McIlroy celebrating after winning the 2025 Ryder Cup, and Larry the Cat roaming in front of 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Rory McIlroy of Team Europe celebrates after winning the Ryder Cup, beating the United States 15-13 on day three of the 2025 Ryder Cup at the Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, New York (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Other works include migrants preparing to board a dinghy to cross the English Channel from France, protesters waving Union and St George’s England flags during the Unite The Kingdom rally in central London last September, and 89-year-old Ursula Pethick being arrested for displaying messages of support for Palestine Action in a Parliament Square protest last August.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch during a visit to Carver Barracks in her constituency in Essex (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

Photos of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Pope Francis’s funeral are also up for the award.

Voting for the award closes at noon on June 10 and the winner will be announced on June 30.

Votes can be cast at pictureeditorsguildawards.co.uk

Read More

Protesters clash with police in Southampton over Henry Nowak murder

Starmer to face PMQs after Mandelson files release lay bare splits in Government

In The Room | Mandelson files: 1,504 pointless pages?