Britain’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne culminated with a pageant through central London on Sunday, and tens of thousands of people were expected to attend street parties nationwide.
Military bands, performers and dancers will join forces in parades through the capital, from singer Ed Sheeran and more than 100 “national treasures” from former football player Gary Lineker to children’s TV puppet Basil Brush.
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The procession, which will follow the same path as the 96-year-old queen on her coronation day in 1953, aims to highlight the different decades of her reign.
For many gatherings in central London under chilly gray skies, early talks revolved around the weather.
Emma Woodhouse, a 21-year-old nanny from the Eastern County of Norfolk, arrived at the grand boulevard running up to Buckingham Palace at 5:30 a.m., holding a Union Jack shower cap just in case.
“We are ready to be here, rain or shine,” she said.
A series of “Big Jubilee Luncheons” were planned across the UK, with an estimated 16,000 street parties. About 600 such gatherings were being held around the world, including in Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan and South Africa.
The Queen’s son and heir Prince Charles and his wife Camilla attended the Jubilee Luncheon at the Oval Cricket Ground in London. Prince William’s wife Kate and their three young children were filmed baking a cake for lunch in Wales.
The final day of celebration comes after 73-year-old Prince Charles paid a personal tribute to his mother at a glittering pop concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night.
Saturday’s concert was one of several jubilee events that Elizabeth missed due to “episodic mobility problems” that recently led to her canceling the engagement. She has been on the throne longer than her predecessors.
“You resolved to serve all your life – you keep giving. That’s why we are here,” Charles said in his message to the Queen, who was at her Windsor Castle residence outside London.
“You’ve met and talked to us. You laugh and cry with us and most importantly, you’ve been there for us these 70 years,” Charles referred to the Queen as “Mommy.”
The events began with a pre-recorded comic sketch of the Emperor drinking tea with Paddington Bear.
jubilee program
Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25 upon the death of her father, George VI, a Britain still emerging from the ravages of World War II and Winston Churchill as prime minister.
In all, there have been 14 UK Prime Ministers and 14 US Presidents during his reign; The Berlin Wall rose and fell; Britain joined and left the European Union; And its once mighty empire disintegrated, being replaced by the Commonwealth of 54 Nations.
Elizabeth was instrumental in creating the Commonwealth and many consider its success to be their greatest achievement.
“You continue to make history,” said Charles.
She added that her father, Prince Philip, who died last year at the age of 99 after more than seven decades at the Queen’s side, must have enjoyed the show.
The four-day celebrations began on Thursday with a military parade and a Royal Air Force flypast, and continued with the national service of Thanksgiving on Friday.
Opinion polls show that most Britons believe the monarchy should remain and a recent Ipsos poll found that nine out of 10 respondents supported the queen.
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