Britain is celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s unprecedented Platinum Jubilee, her 70th year on the throne, with all the grandeur one would expect from this 1,000-year-old institution.
Queen Elizabeth marked seven decades on the throne in February, and two public holidays were set aside to create a four-day weekend for nationwide events commemorating her reign from June 2-5.
The four-day celebration kicked off on Thursday with the traditional ‘Trooping the Colour’ military parade in central London, which was followed by a royal flypast of modern and historic aircraft, watched by crowds in London and four generations of the royal family from the famed Buckingham Palace balcony, and the queen was greeted with rapturous cheers and applause as she made two smiling appearances.
There will be a National Service of Thanksgiving at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, but the queen said she will not attend.
On Saturday, the queen will attend the Derby horse race with other family members. Later, there will be a concert outside Buckingham Palace, featuring the likes of the rock group Queen, pop band Duran Duran and U.S. singer Diana Ross.
Celebrations will conclude on Sunday, with street parties and a pageant through the British capital, whose streets are already decked out with flags.
The 96-year-old queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, has been a symbol of stability for the country during huge social, economic, and political change, including the end of the British Empire since her coronation on June 2, 1953.
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