Glorious reign
Brits push the boat out for Queen
NATIONAL celebrations to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee have begun as Britain geared up for a weekend of pomp, pageantry and fun in honour of its monarch.
Events staged in tribute to the Queen’s 60-year reign were being held over a four-day public holiday, with spectacular public activities planned for the capital.
The Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond signalled the start of the festivities in dramatic fashion with a 21-gun salute that boomed across Portsmouth Harbour yesterday.
Tributes have been paid to the Queen by Prime Minister David Cameron and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and a poll suggests a large majority of the British public, 80 per cent of those questioned for an Ipsos Mori diamond jubilee survey, want to remain a monarchy.
Cameron said he doubted the Queen would step down in favour of her son the Prince of Wales. ‘‘I wouldn’t anticipate that. What I see in Her Majesty is someone, in spite of the fact she’s been on the throne for 60 years, in spite of the fact that Her Majesty and Prince Philip are now relatively elderly, there is an extraordinary level of physical energy, mental energy, and above all devotion to her people, to the institutions of this country, to the way our democracy works.’’
Up to a million people were expected to line the banks of the River Thames and nearby open spaces to watch a 1000-strong flotilla sail through London tonight in a diamond jubilee river pageant.
And almost 6 million Britons planned to throw a jubilee party this weekend.