Britain: Hundreds of thousands gather to honor Queen Elizabeth II’S 60-year reign.
LONDON — The curtain fell Tuesday on a four-day extravaganza marking Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne, culminating with deafening applause from the hundreds of thousands who gathered outside Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of the monarch on her worldfamous balcony.
Britons tend to reserve displays of gushing patriotism for high-profile royal or sporting events, and at times during the jubilee festivities the landscape here almost morphed into a sea of Union Jack flags.
Millions of people braved rainy conditions (another great British tradition) to take in the largest river pageant on the Thames in 350 years, street parties across the country, and a star-studded concert featuring the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John.
But the mood was notably dampened when Prince Philip, the queen’s 90-year-old husband, was hospitalized Monday for a bladder infection.
The indefatigable queen pressed on with events.
In a rare address to the nation, broadcast Tuesday evening, the 86-yearold monarch, who is as popular as she has ever been, said the outpouring of public support had “touched me deeply.”
While the queen is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee throughout the year, the past four days were billed as the main event. It included the lighting of 4,200 beacons across the globe from Kenya to Canada and on the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Some have criticized the glitzy celebrations at a time when Britain is in the throes of a recession, but many have welcomed them as a short reprieve from the gloomy headlines.