Tributes have begun pouring in following the sad news that Dame Vera Lynn, the Forces' Sweetheart and an icon from the WWII generation, has died at the age of 103.
"A real shame, I really thought Vera Lynn would live longer she's been speaking so well on TV recently. She had a huge impact on me in Burma and remained important to me throughout my life. My thoughts are with Dame Vera Lynn's family at this sad time."
- Captain Tom Moore
"Dame Vera Lynn's charm and magical voice entranced and uplifted our country in some of our darkest hours. Her voice will live on to lift the hearts of generations to come."
- Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister
"I simply cannot find the words to explain just how much I adored this wonderful lady. Her voice brought comfort to millions in their darkest hours, her songs filled the nation's hearts with hope, and her emotive performances, whether home or abroad, then or now, helped to get us through. It was she who chose the sentiments of her songs - she knew instinctively what people needed to hear, how to rally the morale and her spirit and strength created the soundtrack of a generation. There will never be another Dame Vera Lynn. Forces' Sweetheart and our sweetheart. An icon. A legend. An inspiration. My mentor and my friend. I will miss you greatly and I know we'll meet again some sunny day."
- Katherine Jenkins
"In the war, Churchill gave voice to the nation's courage: Vera Lynn gave voice to its heart. She represented the best of her extraordinary generation & exemplified its values throughout her long & remarkable life. A great privilege to have known her. She was fun, too."
- Gyles Brandreth
"RIP Dame Vera Lynn, the Forces' Sweetheart. Her songs still speak to the nation in 2020 just as they did in 1940."
- Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition
"Oh no.... what terribly sad news. Dame Vera Lynn has died, aged 103. A magnificent woman who rallied our country when we most needed it. The Forces sweetheart. The Nation's sweetheart. RIP."
- Piers Morgan
"The incomparable Dame Vera Lynn has left us. Her talent was so very rare and special, her service to this country an inspiration to us all and we shall never see her like again. Thank you, God bless you and rest in peace."
- Michael Ball
"There was something royal about Vera, she was so loved. Everyone who remembers the war remembers her remembers she did her country proud. I think everyone will feel a personal sense of loss. I'm no spring chicken but she was a star for the whole of my life. She was constantly loyal to the things she believed in. She associated herself with the people who defended our nation and she went out and entertained them. Her voice was as true as a bell, right up until the end of her life. She had a natural dignity, but she was never too grand. She was a very remarkable human being."
- Esther Rantzen
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