Blenheim Palace marks VE Day with Standing with Giants installation

In honour of the 80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE80) Day, Blenheim Palace is proud to unveil a commemorative Standing with Giants installation, featuring a series of striking life-size silhouettes that pay tribute to the spirit of 8 May 1945 — a day of celebration, remembrance, and reflection.

The installation will be on display in the Churchill Memorial Garden at Blenheim Palace until the end of June 2025, offering visitors a moving and meaningful experience in a setting steeped in military and national history.

Visitors to Blenheim Palace can appreciate 14 Steele life-size figures representing service members from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, as well as civilians and children. Each silhouette has been inspired by real historic photographs, capturing the joy and relief that swept across Britain and Europe on the day the Second World War in Europe came to an end.

A standout piece in the display is a life-size figure of Sir Winston Churchill, giving his famous V for Victory sign — a powerful symbol of leadership and national resilience. Set against the historic backdrop of Blenheim Palace, his birthplace, the figure adds special significance and resonance to the installation.

Dan Barton, artist and founder of Standing with Giants, said: “The team at Standing with Giants are thrilled to once again be displaying an installation within the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace. Over the last few years, millions of people have seen our remembrance installations. These VE Day figures have been a joy to create, as they depict people in a time of celebration. It’s so important that we celebrate our freedom and give thanks to those who never made it home — and all those who played their part in making Europe’s liberation possible.”

“Many of the images you see in this installation are based on historic photographs of people celebrating VE Day. Importantly, we’ve included children — whose lives were profoundly shaped by the war, including my own father, who was held in an internment camp from the age of three to seven.” Dan added

Heather Carter, Visitor Attraction Managing Director, Blenheim Palace said: “Blenheim Palace holds a deep connection to our national history, and we are proud to host the Standing with Giants installation as part of the VE Day 80th anniversary commemorations. This powerful display not only pays tribute to those who served and sacrificed, but also invites reflection on the enduring importance of peace and resilience. We hope our visitors will find it both moving and inspiring in this very special setting.”

The figures serve not only as a visual reminder of the end of the war in Europe, but also as a tribute to the enduring legacy of VE Day and the personal stories connected to it.

Visitors to Blenheim Palace’s Park and Gardens this Spring and Summer will enjoy more than the changing seasons and colourful displays; everywhere they look will be evidence of the ongoing evolution of the stunning Formal Gardens at Britain’s Greatest Palace.

Admission to the installation is included with a valid Palace & Gardens Ticket or Palace and Play Pass which grants access to both Blenheim Palace and Adventure Play for a full year, making it fantastic value for families visiting to enjoy all that Britain’s Greatest Palace has to offer.

For opening times and ticketing, please visit, www.blenheimpalace.com/standing-with-giants/.

ENDS

For further information, interviews, or images, please contact: Janette Barton – Project Coordinator, Standing with Giants info@standingwithgiants.co.uk / +44 (0)7980 373579

About Standing with Giants

Standing with Giants is an Oxfordshire-based charity that creates large-scale remembrance art installations with the help of volunteers, to honour the sacrifices of armed forces and civilians throughout history. Their installations have inspired communities across the UK, offering powerful and innovative ways to engage with and preserve historical memory.

About Blenheim Palace

Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style, it was financed by Queen Anne, on behalf of a grateful nation, following the first Duke of Marlborough’s triumph over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Today it houses one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, which includes portraits, furniture, sculpture and tapestries.

Blenheim Palace is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill, and it was his father who described the vista on entering the Estate from the village of Woodstock as the ‘finest view in England’.