After a colorful street pageant sashays through London on Sunday, the final day of a long holiday weekend marking the monarch’s 70 years on the throne, royal fans were anticipating an appearance by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.
Thousands of performers will march down the Mall from Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace, presenting the tale of the queen’s life with dance, vintage cars, bright costumes, carnival music, and enormous puppets over a three-kilometer (almost two-mile) path.
The gilded gold state coach, a horse-drawn carriage that took the queen to her coronation 69 years ago, will be led by a military band as the festivities begin with the ringing of bells at Westminster Abbey.
The 96-year-old monarch will not participate in the pageant, but a historical video of her will be shown through the windows of the coach.
The most ardent royal fans risked the rain and frigid temperatures to spend the night on the Mall to have the greatest view of the spectacle. Some came to see the celebs that will be performing, while others came to see history.
“It’s a part of history, and it’ll never happen again.” It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity, so if you’re going to do it, go big or go home,” Shaun Wallen, 50, remarked.
The queen hasn’t been seen in public since Thursday when she smiled and waved on Buckingham Palace’s balcony with her family for the Platinum Jubilee activities. She has made fewer public appearances in recent months due to “episodic mobility problems,” according to the palace. This spring, she also had COVID-19.
Despite this, she surprised the country by appearing in a surprise comedy video that started a concert held in front of Buckingham Palace on Saturday. The monarch drank tea with a computer-animated Paddington Bear in the film and revealed that, like the furry figure, she enjoyed marmalade sandwiches and kept them in her handbag.
The star-studded memorial performance, which included Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys, and Andrea Bocelli, was anchored by Diana Ross and the rock band Queen on Saturday night.
The celebrities praised the queen for her decades of service to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Her eldest son and successor to the throne, Prince Charles, emphasized his mother’s position as a symbol of unity and stability over the years.
“You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us for these 70 years,” Charles remarked, addressing the queen as “Your Majesty, mummy.”
Charles and Camilla mingled with the public at The Oval cricket ground in London for a “Big Jubilee Lunch” on Sunday. Across the country, millions of people set up long tables, balloons, and picnic food in preparation for similar patriotic street gatherings and barbeques. In the British part of the pageant’s climax, celebrities such as singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran will perform “God Save The Queen” outside Buckingham Palace later Sunday. Many people are hoping for a second balcony visit by the queen to round off the weekend of festivities.
