Muhammad Mussa
05 June 2022•Update: 05 June 2022
LONDON
The celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee, marking the 70th anniversary of the enthronement of Queen Elizabeth II, drew to an end on Sunday, following four days of high-profile events across the UK.
The fourth and final day of the Jubilee celebrations saw a 3-kilometer (1.86-mile) pageant parade through the capital London, musical performances from artists and the appearance of the monarch and other senior royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
“When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee,” the queen said in a statement.
“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. I have. I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come,” she added.
“I thank you all most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.”
Prior to her appearance, the royal standard was raised over Buckingham Palace, singling the presence of the monarch. The senior royals who also made an appearance on the balcony was her eldest son Prince Charles and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall. The royal appearance lasted a brief moment before they retreated back into the palace.
Crowds had filled the main squares of the capital as well as The Mall, the main thoroughfare leading to the queen’s residence, and sang the British national anthem in unison as Elizabeth and her family appeared on the palace balcony to mark an end to the four-day celebration.
“Happy and glorious: a wonderful end to the @Jubilee_Pageant as millions across the country join together for the national anthem.Thank you and congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on a remarkable 70 years. #PlatinumJubilee#HM70,” Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said on Twitter.
At the Oval cricket stadium, the Big Jubilee Lunch was hosted in which a variety of cuisines were served. The prince of Wales and the duchess of Cornwall attended the event which also saw a cake sale. The royal family’s 260-year-old horse-drawn carriage with a hologram of the queen was also paraded through the streets of the capital.
The Platinum Jubilee holiday was marked by a four-day national holiday that began on Thursday. Across the country, people were given time off of work and street parties were held. A birthday parade and gun salute as well as an appearance by the queen on the balcony signaled the start of the festivities.
On Friday, a thanksgiving service was held at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. However, the queen did not attend and was represented by Charles. The celebrations also saw 3,500 beacons lit across the UK and the British Commonwealth nations.
When Elizabeth II took the throne in 1952, the leader of the USSR was Joseph Stalin, and the US president was Harry S Truman. The UK saw 14 prime ministers under Elizabeth’s long reign, from Winston Churchill to currently embattled Boris Johnson.
The 96-year-old monarch remains the head of state of 15 countries in the British Commonwealth, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the non-Commonwealth states of Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands.
