THERE will be no Royal Visit to Jersey to mark the “milestone” 80th anniversary of the Island’s liberation from occupying German forces.
The Bailiff, Sir Timothy Le Cocq, confirmed yesterday that the German Ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, would be attending Liberation Day on 9 May.
Meanwhile, Guernsey and Sark will receive a visit from Princess Anne.
Sir Timothy said: “For me it is very important to ensure we share our culture and heritage with others and it is an important signal in these times of global uncertainty that the German Ambassador takes part in our milestone commemoration.
“We see this engagement and that of other attending diplomats as a way of Jersey celebrating its place in the international community, a way of looking outward as well as inward, and that has been our focus.”
He added that it was “wonderful, and perhaps in keeping with a broader tradition, that both islands are celebrating in different ways”.
The Bailiff said he was “very pleased to hear that Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal will be visiting Guernsey to celebrate their anniversary”, adding: “Jersey is very fortunate to host HRH the Princess Royal on a frequent basis, primarily due to HRH’s patronage of Durrell, and I am sure she will make Guernsey’s celebration special to Islanders.”
States Members voted on Friday to make Liberation Day the Island’s official national day.
A music festival, parish parties, displays of archives and an inaugural Liberation Games will feature at this year’s event.
The Bailiff said: “I, with the Lieutenant-Governor and Chief Minister, want to ensure that our senior citizens who experienced wartime Britain and our young people who will carry on the memories and maintain the importance of our freedom, will enjoy not only Liberation Day but also the activities surrounding 9 May.”
The Liberation Games are due to be run by Jersey Sport and include a variety of different sports and activities designed to “bring together parishes to compete in a series of friendly and accessible games”.
Jersey’s last major Liberation Day celebration was due to be in 2020, but the pandemic put a stop to the planned 75th anniversary celebrations.
Instead, many events took place virtually due to lockdown.
