LONDON (AP) – Four days of celebrations in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th year on the throne began on Thursday with a display of British military traditions ranging from horse and cannon days to the era of the jets.
The formal celebrations of the Platinum Jubilee began with Trooping the Color, an annual military review that has marked the Sovereign’s official birthday since 1760. The Queen made a salute on the balcony of Buckingham Palace and joined the working members. of his family to take a military step.
Thousands of people, some of whom camped overnight, lined up the parade route, many with Union Jack flags, party hats or plastic tiaras. Carly Martin, who took a night bus from south London with her daughter, said she had come “to make memories”.
“You’re not going to see this again in your life,” he said. “At least not to me, maybe not to my daughter. … 70 years, that’s all I’ve known. “
The 96-year-old queen is the longest-serving monarch in the United Kingdom and the first to reach the seven-decade-old throne. Elizabeth smiled broadly on Thursday as she talked to her great-grandchildren and looked up as the British military plane roared over the palace. The six-minute screen included Typhoon planes flying in a formation with the number “70”.
The jubilee is commemorated with a four-day festive weekend. The celebration of the reign of Elizabeth includes a Thanksgiving service on Friday at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, a concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday and a pageant hosted by thousands of performers from schools and community groups. across the country on Sunday. Thousands of street parties are planned across the country, repeating a tradition that began with the coronation of the queen in 1953.
Several protesters were arrested on Thursday after crossing barriers and entering the parade route. The Animal Rebellion group claimed responsibility, saying protesters were “demanding that the royal lands be reclaimed.”
The jubilee offers many people, even those who are often indifferent to the monarchy, the opportunity to reflect on the state of the nation and the great changes that have taken place during its reign. Former Prime Minister John Major, one of 14 prime ministers in the queen’s reign, said the monarch’s stoic presence had helped run the country for decades.
“The Queen has been our best self for over 70 years,” she told the BBC.
In a written jubilee message, the Queen thanked the people of Britain and the whole Commonwealth involved in organizing the celebrations. For many, the occasion is the first opportunity for a big party since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic more than two years ago.
“I know a lot of happy memories will be created on these festive occasions,” Elizabeth said. “I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and I hope that the next few days will be an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved over the past 70 years, as we look to the future with confidence and excitement. “.
Congratulations came from world leaders. French President Emmanuel Macron has described Elizabeth as “the golden thread that binds our two countries together” and one of the “few constants” on the international stage.
Former US President Barack Obama recalled the Queen’s “grace and generosity” during her first visit to the palace. She said she had “learned a lot from seeing the example she set for all of us who were privileged to serve.”
“Your life has been a gift, not just to the UK but to the world,” Obama said in a video message, adding: “May the light of your crown continue to reign supreme.”
The first event of the long weekend, Trooping the Color, refers to a regimental flag, or “color,” that rises between the ranks. Britain’s annual tradition for the Queen’s birthday is a ceremonial recreation of the way battle flags were once displayed to soldiers to make sure they recognized a crucial meeting point if they were disoriented in combat.
Each year a different unit of the Army Home Division has the honor of making troops with their color. The 1st Irish Guard Battalion will be the focus during the Platinum Jubilee.
Applause and clapping sounded on Thursday as horse-drawn carriages carried members of the royal family, including Prince William’s wife, Kate, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, from from Buckingham Palace to the Horse Riding Parade, a ceremonial. arms yard one kilometer (0.6 miles) away.
The queen is expected to appear twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, but Prince Charles played a key role during the event. Mounted on horseback, he also received a greeting from the ranks of scarlet-clad guards on behalf of his mother, along with his sister, Princess Anna, and his son, Prince William.
Elizabeth has had trouble moving lately, and her courtiers have taken care to keep things as simple as possible for her.
Members of the royal family, including the wife of Prince Charles, Camilla, traveled in carriages to see the ceremony from a building overlooking the courtyard.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined other members of the royal family to see the show. Harry and Meghan traveled to London from their home in California with their two young children to participate in the celebrations.
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