In France, the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings was commemorated. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attended the ceremony but left early, missing a memorial event with US President Joe Biden.
He is now responding to the criticism.
On Friday morning, the British Prime Minister took to the social media platform X to share his apology with the nation:
"After concluding the British event in Normandy, I returned to the United Kingdom," Sunak announced. "In retrospect, it was a mistake not to stay in France longer, and I apologize."
In his apology, Sunak emphasized that the D-Day commemoration was a crucial moment to honor the brave men and women who risked their lives to defend freedom and democracy.
"The last thing I want is for the commemorations to be overshadowed by politics," he said in his post.
According to Reuters, Sunak attended a British event but skipped an international commemoration with US President Joe Biden. Instead, he traveled back to the UK to record a television interview for the election campaign.
Opposition politicians sharply criticized Sunak.
"One of the greatest privileges of the office of Prime Minister is to honor those who have served, but Rishi Sunak has left them on the beaches of Normandy," accused Ed Davey of the Liberal Democrats. "This is an absolute dereliction of duty and shows why this Conservative government must go."
Britain will elect a new parliament on July 4.
Political commentators noted that Sunak's decision allowed his opponent, Keir Starmer, to attend the international commemoration. Starmer's Labour Party has long been ahead in polls.
