And she waved: Balcony appearance caps queen’s jubilee
LONDON — In a crowning moment for her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II appeared at the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, delighting fans who had hoped to catch a glimpse of her during the final day of festivities marking the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
The 96-year-old queen has curtailed her schedule in recent months. Prior to Sunday, she had appeared in public only twice during the four-day holiday weekend celebrations. Officials said she experienced “discomfort” during those events Thursday.
Thousands massed outside Buckingham Palace for the climax of a boisterous, colorful pageant cheered as the monarch appeared on the balcony with her son and heir, Prince Charles, his wife, Camilla, and her eldest grandson, Prince William, and his family.
The queen, dressed in bright green, waved and smiled after the crowds belted out “God Save the Queen.” Her appearance, which lasted only a few minutes, was followed by a crowd-pleasing performance of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
Sunday’s events began with a military parade featuring 200 horses marching down the Mall to Buckingham Palace. They flanked the gilded carriage that transported the queen to her coronation 69 years ago. A virtual version of her, drawn from archival video from her 1953 coronation, was shown at the coach’s windows.
After the pomp and pageantry came a melange of acts celebrating the diversity of modern Britain and the Commonwealth, including hip-hop and Bollywood dancers, drag queens and Mardi Gras-style floats. Some 6,000 performers paraded along a nearly twomile route lined with a sea of Union flags, telling the story of the queen’s life with dance, vintage cars, vibrant costumes, carnival music and giant puppets.
Some of Britain’s bestloved cultural exports were here, including the Daleks in “Doctor Who” and James Bond’s sleek Aston Martins. Celebrities including singer Cliff Richard danced and sang from open-top doubledecker buses designed to represent the sights and sounds of each decade, beginning with the 1950s.
The queen did not join her family in the royal box watching the pageant. Nor did Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, who made their first family trip to the U.K. since they stepped away from royal duties and moved to Southern California in 2020. The couple largely stayed out of the limelight during the Platinum Jubilee events.