LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Monarch of UK celebrates her 70th year in reign this year and the nation is painted in the colours of joy, festivities and pride for their queen. Following is a quick summary of the events of the day.
- In the 2,000-strong congregation at St Paul’s to honour the 70-year reign of the Queen, senior royals, parliamentarians, and diplomats came together with 400 public members who were awarded for vital roles they have played in their communities. The service was intended to serve as the spiritual centrepiece of the weekend’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
- At today’s Thanksgiving service, the Prince of Wales stood in for the Queen. The monarch, who is 96 years old, missed the service with much reluctance, according to Buckingham Palace, after experiencing intermittent mobility problems all through the day on Thursday, the first day of her jubilee celebrations.
- The Queen has been thanked by the Archbishop of York for “staying the course.” He imagined she was watching the service on TV, according to Stephen Cottrell. “We’re sorry you’re not here with us this morning, Your Majesty,” he continued, “but we’re so delighted you’re still in the saddle. And we’re relieved that there’s more to come.”
- As PM Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie, exited their car and moved up the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, several in the audience booed loudly. Former prime ministers Theresa May, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and David Cameron were among those in attendance. Johnson gave a New Testament reading.
- Upon Prince Harry and Meghan arrived, the crowd erupted in applause. Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands, as well as Lady Sarah Chatto, Princess Margaret’s daughter, and her family, sat in the second row of the congregation with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
- Following the service, the royals, top politicians, and other guests gathered at the Guildhall in central London for a jubilee banquet. The city’s lord mayor, Vincent Keaveny, gave a speech to the audience. He complimented the Queen’s lengthy reign for decades of “continuity, stability, and unity.”
- Despite the fact that television viewing figures for the first day of the Queen’s jubilee were significantly lower than prior royal events, millions of people tuned in. The BBC’s broadcast of trooping the colour on Thursday drew a record audience of 7.5 million people, kicking off a long weekend of coverage to mark the Queen’s 70th year in power.
- The Queen had a “lovely” day at the platinum jubilee celebrations on Thursday, but the day was quite taxing, according to the Duchess of Cambridge, who spoke to a Guildhall reception attendee.
- Thunderstorms were expected to disrupt the platinum jubilee celebrations, according to the Met Office, which had issued a weather warning for southern England. Heavy rain and lightning were expected in some areas, according to forecasters, and a yellow alert had been issued from midnight until 10 am on Saturday.
