Queen Elizabeth II made a surprise Buckingham Palace balcony appearance at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant today to round out the Jubilee weekend. The Queen opted out of attending the actual event, but came out on the balcony with Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, The Duchess of Cambridge, and their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The Queen wore a vibrant green Stewart Parvin coat and dress and a matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan. She opted for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Bow Brooch, which was made by Garrard in 1858 at the request of Queen Victoria, who left it to The Crown in her will. It’s a favorite of HM’s and she wears it quite frequently.
The Queen was also using a walking stick, which she’s used for a while now. I think this was Philip’s walking stick, and while I understand the sentiment, I wish HM would use a walking stick that’s made for her height. This one is far too large and I worry for her. Also, with her “mobility issues” and “discomfort”, I wish they’d just get this woman a wheelchair. My mother’s quality of life greatly improved once she transitioned from a walker to a wheelchair.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter the Pageant was over, HM released a statement thanking everyone for the Jubilee.
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.
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 been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.
I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.
Royal.uk
As for the actual pageant itself, one of the attractions was the use of the Gold State Coach, which has not been seen in use publicly since the Golden Jubilee 20 years ago. This Gold State Coach is an eight-horse-drawn carriage commissioned in 1760 by King George III and completed in 1762.
The Pageant told the story of The Queen’s 70 years on the throne and how much society has changed in that time. The story was told in four parts. It opened with “For Queen and Country” which featured a military spectacle, including the Gold State Coach.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe second part was “The Time of Our Lives” which showed British life throughout the 70 years. A cast of thousands, and some celebrities thrown in, featured double decker buses themed for each decade, and popular music throughout the years.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe third act was “Let’s Celebrate” which featured a mash of “street theatre, music-on-the-move, urban dance, and the very best of Carnival, May Day, Mela, Fiesta and Mardi Gras”.
Embed from Getty ImagesAct four, the finale, was “Happy and Glorious” which featured a performance by Ed Sheeran while a montage of images of The Queen were shown, and the balcony appearance.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere were a ton a amazing costumes and performers, and I even saw some Daleks from Doctor Who in there. You can watch the full livestream here.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe royals turned out for the pageant. Charles and Camilla (wearing the Queen Mother’s Rock Crystal Brooch), of course, were there alongside Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence (not pictured). Behind them were Peter Phillip and his girlfriend Lindsay Wallace, whom you can kind of see. I know three of the six people mentioned are not or are barely visible but I just loved this photo of Charles cracking up so I wanted to include it.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe entire Cambridge family turned up for the pageant, although Louis didn’t make it through the whole thing. I know this post will already be very long so I think I will break the cute kid moments into a separate post for tomorrow, but Louis (being a typical 4 year old boy) was living either his best or his worst life at this event.
In the second row seated behind the Cambridges were Zara Tindall and Lena Tindall with Savannah Phillips.
Embed from Getty ImagesI haven’t seen any good shots of Kate’s dress so this is the best I could find. Kate wore a custom dress from Stella McCartney in this gorgeous raspberry color. I love this.
Embed from Getty ImagesShe’s worn these earrings a couple times before but I don’t believe there’s an ID on them.
Embed from Getty ImagesMike Tindall and Mia Tindall were seated behind Kate. Lucas Tindall was also there for a bit but I don’t see a photos of him.
Embed from Getty ImagesPrincess Beatrice was there with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and her husband’s son from a previous relationship, Christopher Mapelli Mozzi.
Embed from Getty ImagesPrincess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank brought their son August Brooksbank, who wore this cute Union flag sweater.
Embed from Getty ImagesI think that’s all the royals that were in attendance. I’ll end this with a short video of the event.
