LONDON (AB) – At the climax of her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, delighting fans who believed she would see him on the final day of the King’s 70th anniversary celebrations. Throne.
The 96-year-old king has cut his schedule in recent months. Prior to Sunday, the Queen appeared in public only twice – both Thursdays – during the four-day holiday weekend celebrations. Authorities said he experienced “discomfort” during those events.
Thousands of people gathered outside Buckingham Palace for the climax of the exciting, colorful rivalry as the King appeared on the balcony with his son and heir apparent Prince Charles, his wife Camila and his eldest grandson Prince William and his family.
After the people belted, “God save the queen,” the bright green-clad queen waved and smiled. Her appearance, which lasted only a few minutes, then delighted the crowd at ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” show.
This is the final match for a major street competition celebrating the Queen’s life and highlighting Britain’s diversity. Thousands of people gathered in the streets of London, many talking enthusiastically and proudly about their queen and country.
Later, the king issued a statement thanking everyone who celebrated his platinum anniversary.
“When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your queen, there is no guide book to follow. This is really the first time, “said David Cook, chief of The Christian Science Monitor’s Washington bureau.”
“Although I did not attend every event in person, my heart was with all of you; And with the support of my family I am determined to serve you as much as I can.
The race began on Sunday with a spectacular military parade of 200 horses marching from the mall to Buckingham Palace. They circled a golden chariot, the golden state coach who carried the Queen to her coronation ceremony 69 years ago. His virtual version, drawn from the archive video of his 1953 coronation ceremony, was displayed in the coach’s windows.
After luxury and competition, there is a mix of activities celebrating the diversity of modern Britain and the Commonwealth, from hip hop and Bollywood dancers to track queens and Marty cross style floats. About 6,000 artists marched in a sea line of Union flags for three kilometers (almost two miles), telling the story of the Queen’s life with dance, vintage cars, vibrant costumes, festival music and giant toys.
Here are some of Britain’s most coveted cultural exports, from the deluxe in “Doctor Who” to James Bond’s elegant Aston Martins. Celebrities, including singer Cliff Richard, danced and danced on open-top double-decker buses designed to reflect the scenes and sounds of each decade, beginning in the 1950s.
“It’s a great honor to be a part of this. We’ve got the best queen in the world, haven’t we? The best country in the world,” said biker Warren Jobson, who took part in the parade.
Organizers say the match was watched by about 1 billion people worldwide.
Eager royal fans bravely faced the wet, cold weather and camped in the mall overnight to preserve the best view of the match. When pictures of the Queen and her family were shown on a large video screen – some came to see celebrities like Ed Sheeran who sang her song – others wanted to be part of a historic moment.
“It’s part of history, it’s not going to happen again. It’s something special, so if you’ve going to do that, you have to go big or go home,” said 50-year-old Shawn Wallen.
The Queen did not see the match in the royal box with her family. Prince Harry and his wife, Megan, have not made the first family trip to the UK since stepping down from government positions and moving to the United States in 2020. The couple came to the UK for the big holiday weekend, but mostly stayed out. Light during the Platinum Jubilee events.
With the parade over and thousands of people finishing in an attempt to see the Queen, the enormous expansion filled in a matter of minutes.
On Saturday, the King delighted the nation when he appeared in a stunning comedy video that kicked off an evening concert in front of Buckingham Palace. In the video, The king drank tea with the computer-animated Paddington bear – A beloved baby character in the UK, she reveals that she, like the furry bear, eats some marmalade sandwiches and wants to keep them in her purse.
Diana Ross and rock band Queen led the star-studded tribute concert, which also featured Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli.
Prince Charles, the queen’s eldest son and heir to the throne, highlighted his mother’s role in the concert as a symbol of decades of unity and stability. Calling the Queen “Her Majesty, Mommy,” Charles said: “You are laughing and crying with us. Most importantly, you have been for us for these 70 years.”
On Sunday, Charles and Camilla attended a meeting for the “Big Jubilee Lunch” at the Oval Cricket Ground in London.
Millions of people across the country have set up long tables, balloons and tour fares for similar patriotic street parties and barbecues, meetings that have been welcomed after long epidemic locks over the past two years.
___
Jo Kearney, Srdjan Nedeljkovic and Maria Grazia Murru contributed to this report.
___
Follow all AP news about the British Royal Family at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii.
“Friend of animals everywhere. Coffee maven. Professional food trailblazer. Twitter buff.”