Queen's Platinum Jubilee kicks off in Britain to honor Elizabeth II
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 2 years ago • 63 commentsBy: Alexander Smith, Yuliya Talmazan and Leila Sackur (NBC News)
LONDON — Royal Air Force planes screaming through the skies, a military band on horseback, a ceremonial Irish wolfhound named Seamus.
Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee kicked off Thursday with all the grandeur one would expect from this 1,000-year-old institution. But despite the lavish royal pageantry, there was only one star of the show for the flag-waving crowds lining the streets of the British capital on this warm June day.
There were doubts about how much of the country's four-day celebration its 96-year-old queen would manage to attend. On Thursday, she was greeted with rapturous cheers and applause as she made two smiling appearances on the famed Buckingham Palace balcony.
"I wouldn't describe myself as particularly patriotic, but I do love the queen," said Rob Gemson, 31, an information technology manager from Manchester, a city in northwest England, who joined thousands of spectators watching the day's proceedings on big screens in a nearby park. "Seventy years on the throne — nobody else has ever done that before, so it does feel very historic."
Even for Britons usually ambivalent about the royals, many see this as an occasion to enjoy getting through the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Others are mindful of the queen's age and her recent health troubles — acutely aware there will be a finite number of these events left to celebrate the only monarch most have ever known.
And celebrate they did.
Thousands bearing Union Jack hats and masks of the queen gathered along the Mall, the wide avenue that links Buckingham Palace to the city, with die-hard royalists camping out days before to secure their spots.
The sheer size of the crowds meant that many missed the queen's two brief appearances. "She is 96, we should cut her a bit of slack," said Paul Clifton, a radiographer from Staffordshire in England, as he stood near Buckingham Palace in a Union Jack-themed suit and black top hat. "It's just so busy. This is the busiest we have seen it in years."
Clifton, 35, and his friend Louise D'Costa, who lives in London, arrived early and managed to get a front-row spot along the parade route. They came for the "pomp and ceremony" of it all, he said, but also to enjoy the atmosphere of people from around the country and the world able to come together after two difficult years.
Crowds packed central London for a glimpse of the royal family as they appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.Aaron Chown / Pool via AP
While some traveled all the way from the United States, Canada and elsewhere to honor the queen, messages also poured in from world leaders and other figures, including Pope Francis. President Joe Biden paid tribute to the queen's "selfless devotion and service," while former President Barack Obama noted her "grace and generosity" and said her life had been a "gift" not just to the United Kingdom, but also to the world.
Thursday is the start of a long weekend and public holiday to celebrate the queen's 70-year reign.
After dark, more than 1,500 beacons will be lighted across Britain and overseas to cap the opening day of events. On Friday, there will be a service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral. Saturday will see a concert at the palace, and Sunday will feature nationwide street parties before the events close with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, a four-part festival of celebrity-packed music and theater.
In a break with tradition, the jubilee began with younger royal generations taking center stage.
First, Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, and her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, were whisked past the crowds in a horse-drawn carriage. Then, Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne arrived on horseback to inspect the regiments involved in Trooping the Color, a military parade that has been held for more than 260 years to mark the monarch's ceremonial summer birthday.
When the queen finally did appear, she seemed to take spectators and even broadcasters by surprise with an understated entrance onto the Buckingham Palace balcony.
She came out wearing a light blue hat and coat adorned with a brooch, as well as her now ever-present walking stick, necessary because of her "episodic mobility problems," according to the palace. The queen, later reappeared with a pair of sunglasses, joined on the balcony by Charles, his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, William and Kate and their three children — the youngest of whom stole a little of the limelight for himself.
They weren't the only ones to watch the flypast by the Royal Air Force.
Communities across London and southeast England felt their houses shake as a line of helicopters, World War II-era Spitfires and high-tech jets tore low under the fluffy summer clouds — the display culminating in a red, white and blue vapor trail and fighter jets spelling out a large "70" over the capital.
It was one of many unions of the past, present and future employed to mark an occasion that also offered a chance for the country to take stock.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, performed a special flypast over the Buckingham Palace balcony in London on Thursday.Paul Ellis / WPA Pool via Getty Images
"When we saw the queen coming out on the balcony, it was the same as it's always been, yet really, really different," royal commentator Daisy McAndrew told NBC News. "This was a new Trooping the Color, which showed her increasing age," she said, "but there was still continuity, and I thought it was a really clever way that they changed the event to suit her."
Not everyone was on the balcony, however. Absent was the queen's grandson Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, as well as Charles' brother Prince Andrew — a reminder of the scandals that had buffeted the royals in the buildup to this celebration of its much-loved figurehead.
In a written message to mark the occasion, the queen urged her country to "look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm."
On Thursday, that enthusiasm was centered squarely on her.
"We absolutely love the queen," said Jenny Parris, 50, who was with her sister, Carol, who had flown in from South Africa just for the occasion. Both were wearing rubber masks of the queen's face and carrying around a toy corgi, the queen's favorite dog breed.
"This is our history, this is part of our national pride," Parris added. "A platinum jubilee is something that the next few generations won't see in their lifetimes."
That pic of Prince Louis is adorable.
To think he is going to end up bald one day.
Baldness is passed through the maternal line actually
I thought I remembered that being the case, but wasn't sure. My son has a rude awakening coming his way.
They all are though. Charles is as is his two sons. Even Harry is bald now.
Very true
No guarantees though my brother inherited the maternal line baldness however at only 2 yrs younger I still have a full head of thick hair (although it is curly if I let it grow)
My son has it coming from both sides. His dad's hairline is receding pretty rapidly. My dad is nearly bald, and my brother is thinning on top quite a bit.
Ron Howard, his brother Clint, and their father are good examples of this. All three began balding at an early age.
I thought that was the older boy, Prince George. He looked like that at that age
Can you believe George is 8 now?
They grow up way too fast
All 3 of those kids are cute as buttons
She's my queen, and I'm her Q.C., but if Charles doesn't abdicate in favour of William when she dies I'm casting my vote for Canada to become a republic.
As I understand it, if and when William becomes King, Kate will become Queen Consort.
Yes, she will be the Queen Consort and her title will be Queen Catherine.
So Canada is still part of the Commonwealth?
Yes it is. Our Governor General, who is the local representative of the Queen for Canada is a First Nations (Native Canadian) member. Each province also has a representative of the Queen, known as a Lieutenant Governor.
happy PJ queen. now name a successor, preferably from one of your grandsons, and get off the throne before they carry you off feet first.
The whole monarchy institution should be dumped. They cost the taxpayers of the UK around 345 million a year. For what ?
They have had a monarchy for over a thousand years. If it's what the British want who are we to say they should dump it. The royals do act as representatives of the Kingdom when they go abroad.
I think that tourist ticket and merchandise sales alone bring in 100 million pounds. Seems to me that continuation or not is a British citizen issue.
You know who wanted to dump the monarchy? Margaret Thatcher. I don't see you as a Margaret Thatcher
1.776 billion pounds in 2017 at a cost of 41.9 million pounds. Sounds like a good trade.
I think it would take a lot more than my opinion of the monarchy for me to be "a Margaret Thatcher" lol.
Of course but we're all entitled to our opinions, no ?
LOL! For starters you would have to be a whole lot meaner.
I agree.
In today's news.....
Absolutely, I did the same.
I paid for my ticket to The Tower of London and the Crown Jewels three times over 30 years as I visited London with three different people.
Also enjoyed
but only one time each. That said, I’m not a big fan, I don’t watch the weddings or read the gossip. I did however get invited once as a military visitor to watch Trooping the Color at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall - very impressive.
I don't think she will ever abdicate. But I do think she will name William as her heir.
maybe she's trying to outlive her useless son chuck.
Would not surprise me a bit.
The queen does not have the power to name her successor; Charles is next unless he dies.
Yeah, I thought the line of succession was established by Parliament. It wasn't too long ago that they did away with primogeniture, making the eldest child of either sex the next heir.
thanks for the correction, I've probably watched too much game of thrones...
In the past, the monarch could name his or her successor, but not anymore. But the monarch naming the successor frequently led to war, so it's been better to leave it up to Parliament than to the whims of a father's favoritism.
You know, after all that, after all the wars, deaths, they did not let the true king come to throne.
I always thought that was odd. Instead Bran? Came out of left field for me.
Didn't matter. Tyrion was the one with all the power...The Hand of the King
meh, a horndog with defective DNA fits in with the rest of the monarchies lines of succession...
I'm in the John Oliver school of thought when it comes to the Royal Family and the King/Queen of the UK: It should not exist and it should not be subsidized by taxpayers
The institution serves to anchor English Supremacy and by extension White Supremacy and social inequality in Britain. Nobody should support such a beast with their tax dollars.
Tend to agree given my ‘colonialist’ bias.
But you must admit nobody does ‘pomp and circumstance’ like the Brits. It is their bailiwick and they wear it well.
If the Brits want to do away with the monarchy then ok. But as an American I don't feel I have the right to an opinion on this.
Our nation was founded with an opinion on this. The line, "All men are created equal," was a rejection of British monarchy.
Off with their heads!
I guess we should be happy we were not a penal colony like our Aussie brethren.
Or did they get that mixed up and send the criminals here. Kinda seems like it some times.
They certainly sent the bootleggers, smugglers, and crooked lawyers here.
There were criminals sent here from Sweden. Some were my ancestors.
The only things I know I have in me are German and Irish.
Georgia started off as a penal colony
Yes, and I am glad that our forefathers rejected the British style of government. I'm not British so c'est la vie
That could explain the love of peaches...
I'm mostly English and Scottish, but there's some Irish, German, Swedish, French and Italian there, too, if Ancestry.com is right. And according to my grandma, some Native American, but I've never been able to find that in the family tree.
But the Swedish criminals who were sent here donated the land for the founding of Philadelphia, so I guess they reformed themselves after they were deported.
On my Maternal side, My Great Grandmother came directly from Germany. Came in through NY. It was my Grandfather that was Irish.
My Father was adopted and never wanted to know about that part of him. Never wanted to talk about it. His adoptive parents were straight from Germany as well. The only thing I know from my Dad's side was his original last name. Well, he was a twin and they were adopted together so I do have an Uncle from that side. Supposedly they had an older sister that was adopted separately. He never even wanted to look her up.
I actually don't remember learning about a New Sweden colony. Interesting.
I do believe there was one in PA in the eastern part of the state
When I was working on my genealogy, I learned a lot of history I'd never known before, including about New Sweden.
The institution serves to anchor English Supremacy and by extension White Supremacy and social inequality in Britain. Nobody should support such a beast with their tax dollars.
What utter hogwash ! Unless you know what you're talking about, remain silent !!!!
Talk to the hand, gimlet lover.
Basically, the Royal Family and British Royalty are the British version of America's confederate monuments.
Both are long overdue for a trip to the recycling bin a history.
I'm of the G, De Maiynes, Ancient Law-Merchant, school of thought when it comes to the Royal Family - Live and let Live. If another countries customs, practices and culture don't violate human rights or my country's key interests, it's their call.
So I see none of Harry's children around. I know they are small yet you would think they would have an appearance.
Being an original 100% Native American whose ancestors have been here, as my grandma and grandpa would say, forever.
Boozhoo to all you newbies.
We were sitting on the plane at Heathrow on Thursday when the pilot announced they were trying to shut down the airspace for 3 hours during this Jubilee thing (saw the Royal AF do a fly over). We managed to get out of there just before that happened, but still was 90 minutes late leaving London.