Queen Elizabeth delighted the clamoring crowd below with a surprise visit to the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations commemorating her 70 years on the throne.
The 96-year-old royal, wearing all green and her trademark pearls, joined son Prince Charles; Charles’ wife, Camilla Parker Bowles; the queen’s grandson William; his wife, Kate, and their children as she waved to her adoring fans on the Mall.
“When it comes to how to mark 70 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,” she said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Sunday.
“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.”
Elizabeth had missed the past two days of festivities, citing “discomfort” amid her ongoing “periodic mobility issues,” according to the palace.
The queen accompanied her family outside to greet well-wishers Thursday after the Queen’s Birthday Parade, then took part in a national beacon lighting ceremony at Windsor Castle, but skipped a church service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday and the Epsom Derby horse race Saturday.
She did, however, appear Saturday in a prerecorded video with Paddington Bear, a sweet skit about tea and marmalade sandwiches.
Sunday’s military parade featured 200 horses marching from the Mall to Buckingham Palace, surrounding the gold state coach that carried Elizabeth to her 1953 coronation. An archival video played in the windows showing the then-young monarch waving to her adoring onlookers.
More than 6,000 performers followed the horses, including Bollywood dancers and drag queens.
The weekend festivities also included a surprise reveal from Pippa Middleton, Kate’s sister, who is expecting her third child with husband James Matthews, People confirmed Sunday.
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