At the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th jubilee, Britons all over the country celebrated their head of state with joint picnics. In parks, on boardwalks, in nursing homes and on streets, people sat together and shared sandwiches, salads, quiches and sausage rolls – sausages in batter. The heir to the throne, Prince Charles, and his wife, Duchess Camilla, also attended a “Jubilee Lunch” at London’s The Oval cricket stadium.
In the afternoon a huge street parade called the “Jubilee Pageant” started in London. Led by the Golden State Coach, which last traveled 20 years ago, members of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force marched down the Mall, along with 200 horsemen. They were followed by members of numerous clubs, who recreated scenes from the Queen’s 70-year reign, under the eyes of Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.
The change in British society since 1952 was reflected, for example in the areas of music, fashion and youth culture. Cars from all decades took part. In total, more than 10,000 participants attended the street parade. The conclusion should be 150 “national treasures”, including celebrities such as football legend Gary Lineker.
At the “Jubilee Lunch” at the South London cricket stadium The Oval on Sunday afternoon, according to other guests, Charles called for the feeling of community to be maintained – and not to return to the argument after the four-day celebrations.
It is estimated that millions of people took part in the “Big Lunch” at around 16,000 events. All residents could register festivals beforehand, and there were also numerous publicly organized events. Some municipalities had waived the fees that are actually due for road closures to allow parties.
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Countess Sophie, represented the Queen at a luncheon in Windsor. The palace shared photos showing Duchess Kate, wife of Queen’s grandson Prince William, baking cakes with their three children. The desserts were intended for a street party in the Welsh capital Cardiff, it said.