LONDON ( Associated Press) – Royal fans were looking forward to the appearance of Queen Elizabeth II A colorful street contest through London on Sunday followed at Buckingham Palace, the final day of the holiday weekend celebrating the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
Thousands of performers will parade along the three-kilometer (about two-mile) route from the Mall to Buckingham Palace by the Horse Guards Parade, telling the story of the Queen’s life with dance, lively costumes, carnival music and giant puppets.
The festivities will begin with the ringing of bells at Westminster Abbey, and a military band will be led by the Gold State Coach, a horse-drawn carriage that transported the Queen 69 years ago to her coronation.
Emperor will not participate in the competition, but his archival video will be broadcast on the windows of the coach.
Royal fans weathered the wet, chilly weather and camped out at the mall overnight to see the best of the competition. Some came to perform for celebrities and some said that they want to be a part of a historic moment.
“It’s part of history, it’s never going to happen again. It’s something special, so if you’re going to do it you have to go big or go home,” said 50-year-old Sean Wallen.
The Queen has not appeared in public for Platinum Jubilee events since Thursday, when she smiled and waved to her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. She has limited her presence in recent months because of what the palace described as “episodic mobility issues”.
Still, she delighted the nation when she appeared in a surprise comedy video that staged a concert in front of Buckingham Palace on Saturday. In the video, Emperor drinks tea with computer-animated Paddington Bears — and revealed that, like the beloved character, she was partial to marmalade sandwiches and liked to keep them in her handbag.
Diana Ross and the rock band Queen kicked off a star-studded tribute concert that also featured Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli.
On Sunday, celebrities including Ed Sheeran will chant “God Save the Queen” outside Buckingham Palace as the pageant concludes. Many expect the monarch to make a second balcony appearance to end the weekend of the ceremony.
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Joe Kearney contributed to this report.
