Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration ended with the 96-year-old monarch making a surprise appearance on the Palace balcony as thousands of onlookers sang “God Save the Queen.” This poignant moment beautifully encapsulated an epic celebration the monarchy won’t see again soon.
The monarch stood alongside the two future heirs, Prince Charles and Prince William, plus their wives Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. William and Catherine’s three children, Prince George, Prince Louis, and Princess Charlotte, were also in attendance.
The Platinum Jubilee attracted so much attention for good reason. After 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history and one of the longest-reigning in the world. Queen Victoria had the second longest rule at over 63 years
At the age of 96, Her Majesty had to skip some planned appearances at the Platinum Jubilee due to “mobility issues.” She was unable to attend Thanksgiving services on Friday, according to CBS News. But Elizabeth’s team found clever ways to include the party’s honoree.
One of the most talked-about moments was when a hologram image of the queen rode in a gilded carriage during the parade through the streets. The 260-year golden carriage is the same one she rode in to and from her coronation in 1953, New York Post reported. It was led by a team of royal white horses through the streets of London.
Despite her not being physically present during the entire days-long celebration, it was still a fitting tribute to a much-loved monarch.
The British royal family has been plagued by scandals and drama for decades. It’s impossible to forget the debacle of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s disastrous marriage and public divorce, Prince Andrew’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, and a whole host of others. But through it all, the queen has remained a steadfast figure who dedicated her life to serving loyally for seven decades.
While the party was all about Elizabeth and her achievements, it’s true that the real scene stealers were the reigning monarch’s famous grandkids, especially Prince Louis and his cheeky antics. Videos of the youngest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton went viral over the weekend as they captured him acting out while watching Thursday’s Trooping of the Colour and Sunday’s Pageant parade.
Prince Louis looked adorable in William’s hand-me-down sailor outfit from the same event in 1985. He was caught on camera covering his ears during the noisy flyover Thursday and playfully disobeying his mother and making faces at her during the Pageant.
The children were all entertaining and delightful. Page Six noted how the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought young George and Charlotte along during their scheduled visit to Cardiff Castle, Wales, where they accepted flowers and greeted the crowd. The beloved royals also released some personal photos on their social media showing the family baking cakes in the kitchen.
There was also the sweet moment when a giggling Princess Charlotte conducted an orchestra in a performance of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s “Encanto.”
The queen herself was physically present at three events over the weekend with the longest-serving heir in British history, Prince Charles, serving as her stand-in. However, Elizabeth was able to remain the star of her own party.
For example, Town & Country reported that ahead of the performances at the Platinum Party during the Palace concert, guests were treated to an unexpected video clip of the Queen having tea with Paddington Bear.
A short film showed Her Majesty enjoying marmalade sandwiches with the beloved British character.
“Her Majesty is well known for her sense of humour, so it should be no surprise that she decided to take part in tonight’s sketch,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “There was an interest in the filming and animation process and the opportunity to invite a famous bear to tea was just too much fun to miss. While The Queen may not be attending the concert in person, she was very keen that people understood how much it meant to her and that all those watching had a great time.”
The skit ended with Her Majesty and Paddington tapping their teacups to the beat of the band Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” which transitioned to the live band playing that same song.
The event was a celebration of the queen’s achievements over an incredible seven decades. Prince Charles, who has at times had a strained relationship with his mother, delivered a touching speech to honor her reign.
“Your Majesty, Mummy,” he said during the Platinum Party, “The scale of this evening’s celebration — and the outpouring of warmth and affection over this whole Jubilee weekend—is our way of saying thank you — thank you from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, in fact the whole world. On behalf of us all, I wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service.”
One major relief from the celebration was how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have been dominating headlines for years, did not manage to upstage the guest of honor. The couple only made a couple of public appearances during the four days of events and mostly remained out of the spotlight. Their children did travel with them to the United Kingdom, according to reports, but they were not present for the festivities.
The Daily Wire previously reported how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were booed when exiting St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday after a religious service of Thanksgiving.
But their brief appearance was a mere blip in a storied celebration. The queen shared her thoughts on the Platinum Jubilee in a statement shared to the royal family’s official Twitter account.
“When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow,” the Queen wrote in a message of gratitude shared at the end of the festivities,
“But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee. While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.”