(London) Elizabeth II, who became rare in public due to ill health, was cheered on by tens of thousands of people on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, the first day of celebration of the first day of her 70 – year reign, an unprecedented longevity. British monarchy.
Released at 6:30 p.m.
Updated at 8:14 p.m.
It was the highest point of the much-anticipated 96-year-old sovereign’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations, a symbol of stability amid the uprisings facing the country, his tireless commitment, his undeniable neutrality and appreciation. Her tongue jokes.
The Queen, who ascended the throne at the age of 25 when her father George VI died on February 6, 1952, wore a dove-blue ensemble on the world-famous balcony and leaned motionless on the cane. Accompanying him was Colonel Duke of Kent, a relative of the Scottish Guards – one of the elite regiments of the British Royal Guards – who welcomed participants in the annual ‘High to the Colors’ military parade.
She returned to the balcony shortly after, for a Royal Air Force fly-by, this time with members of the royal family and their children on official duty. Prince Harry and his wife Megan, who wisely marched from another building to return to the UK for the first time since their sensational departure from California in 2020, are missing. Complaint of assault.
“To renew oneself”
For this holiday, a dense crowd, colorful with flags and portraits of the Queen, gathered on the avenue leading to the palace.
“This is a unique day, and it will never happen again as long as I’m alive: 70 years on the throne,” Peter told AFP.
“It only happens once in a lifetime,” adds Mark Cornell, especially from the north of England, although he promises he’s not an unconditional fan of the monarchy: “they must recreate themselves for new generations.”
On horseback, Elizabeth II, the heirs of Prince Charles and William, gathered more than 1,200 warriors and hundreds of musicians and dressed in glorious red robes with long leather hats for the traditional annual parade. The respective wives Camila and Kate arrived in a cart with their three children, George, Charlotte and Louise.
A British sovereign never ruled until Elizabeth. Another is unlikely to achieve such longevity: Charles, the Crown Prince is 73 years old, and his son William will soon be 40 years old.
For the British, this jubilee brings a moment of rest and solidarity, after years of heartbreak following severe blockages caused by Brexit and Govt-19, and now rising prices.
Pennants, flags and giant portraits were hung on the streets across England. After the parade on Thursday, the Queen will light a 21-meter-tall wooden sculpture in front of Buckingham Palace, far from Windsor Castle, in the evening. Then there is a mass scheduled for Friday, a grand concert on Saturday and above all tens of thousands of celebrity gatherings, including a giant picnic on Sunday.
Charles’ role will grow
“I hope the next few days will be an opportunity to look forward to the future with confidence and enthusiasm for all that has been achieved in the last 70 years,” the Sovereign of the country said in a letter. State of 15 Kingdoms from United Kingdom to Canada to New Zealand.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed his “commitment” to the Franco-British “unbroken friendship” and was greeted with congratulations from around the world. Even the Irish Republican Sinn Fein has highlighted its role in the peace process in Northern Ireland, an unimaginable move from the former IRA political perspective.
Confirmed only Wednesday evening by the palace, the rare Elizabeth II appearances are eagerly awaited. Because his health is worrisome: from one night in the hospital in October, he canceled all his official appearances.
Her husband, Philip, died last year and she was unable to walk. However, he did not show any reluctance and has recently relaxed and acted in many surprising appearances.
In this context of the end of the regime, the monarchy faces growing criticism, especially in the former colonies, about the enslavement of the British Empire.
In the United Kingdom, the Queen is much loved by her citizens with 75% positive feedback, according to the YouGov Institute, but her successor Charles is much less appreciated (50%). Only 39% of Britons think the company will survive for another 100 years.
