News Desk :
Huge crowds converged on central London on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee.
At 96, the queen is celebrating 70 years on the throne – the most of any British royal, including her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
On Thursday afternoon, Queen
Elizabeth appeared with family members on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Color ceremony, and waved to enormous crowds of well-wishers.
BBC Online adds: The Queen was praised for “staying the course” as royals joined dignitaries at a thanksgiving service for the Platinum Jubilee at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Referring to her love of horse racing, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said she is “still in the saddle”, even though she was not able to attend.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined for their first royal event together since leaving the UK two years ago.
Meanwhile, the Queen, 96, watched the service from Windsor Castle.
Her decision to miss the service came after she experienced “discomfort” during Thursday’s events, Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Andrew was forced to withdraw from attendance after a positive Covid test.
As Prince Harry and Meghan arrived in St Paul’s Churchyard, they received a huge cheer from the crowd, after keeping a low profile on Thursday.
NHS workers, honours recipients, public servants and charity representatives were among those at the service – part of four days of events marking the Queen’s unprecedented 70-year reign.
Notable guests included Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who arrived to boos and cheers, and his wife, Carrie.
The service was one of the key events in four days of celebrations to mark the first time a British monarch has reigned for 70 years.
On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in central London for the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony and a spectacular fly past of Buckingham Palace.
The Queen later illuminated a globe at Windsor Castle that coincided with the lighting of thousands of beacons across the UK and the Commonwealth.
The celebrations will continue with the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday, a concert at Buckingham Palace featuring performances by Queen, Sir Rod Stewart and Diana Ross.
And on Sunday, 10 million people are expected to hold street parties and other celebrations.
Prince Andrew’s infection was picked up during routine testing, Buckingham Palace said, meaning he would miss the St Paul’s service “with regret”.
The Queen has previously spoken of mobility problems and the palace confirmed ahead of the Jubilee the monarch would consider the events she felt able to attend during the four-day celebration.
