In Pictures: Royals and world leaders mark D-Day 80th anniversary

The King and Queen joined veterans in France on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings on Thursday.

Queen Camilla, King Charles, President of France Emmanual Macron and Brigitte Macron stand beneath the D-Day Sculpture, following the UK national commemorative event for the 80th anniversary of D-Day (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Wire)

Commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings began on Thursday with a military piper playing a lament at sea at the exact moment of the beach invasion in France in 1944.

At dawn eight decades after Allied troops came ashore under gunfire on five code-named beaches in Normandy — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword — the day of remembrance started.

Later, the King paid tribute to veterans at a national commemorative event in Normandy.

At Gold Beach in Arromanches, Major Trevor Macey-Lillie paid tribute to fallen veterans by playing Highland Laddie as he came ashore.