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The last four days have been lively and emotionally charged to mark the seven decades of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne of the United Kingdom.
There was a military parade, a special Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral and a pop concert at Buckingham Palace. The festivities ended on Sunday with a festive pageant and parade in London, as well as street parties across the country.
Here are your most memorable royal moments.
picture released, Archyde.com
1. Prince Louis steals lights
The festivities began on Thursday with a flag parade to mark the Queen’s official birthday, drawing huge crowds to London’s Trafalgar Square and The Mall in dazzling sunshine.
And while fans were thrilled to see the 96-year-old Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, four-year-old Louis, son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, was the real star of the show.
As RAF warplanes and helicopters hovered in a special show in the sky, he covered his ears and sounded like he was screaming. By waving at the crowd and making funny moves on his face, the prince entertained the crowd and attracted attention.
During Sunday’s solemn royal parade, his cousin, Mike Tindall, monitored his behavior.
picture released, Getty Images
But the little prince nevertheless managed to make new funny moves on his face and thus delight the crowd.
picture released, Getty Images
2. Queen lights up Lighthouse
The Queen touches a symbolic globe to start the celebration
picture released, Archyde.com
This triggered a series of lights to illuminate the main beacon
On Thursday evening, the Queen launched a series of lights starting from Windsor Castle and ending at Buckingham Palace, where thousands of beacons were lit across the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries.
The main lighthouse, the Tree of Trees statue, representing the million trees planted in the Jubilee year, lit the palace grounds.
Flames have been lit at other historic sites – the four highest peaks in the UK and in all 54 capitals of the Commonwealth of Nations.
3. The appearance of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at a formal event
picture released, WPA Pool
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have not been seen at a royal event since they left the United Kingdom for the United States two years ago.
They were seen briefly in the window of a building overlooking Thursday’s flag parade event, but later appeared in an official look, when they arrived hand in hand at St Paul’s Cathedral, for a special mass in honor of the Queen.
picture released, Getty Images
The royal couple brought their two children with them to London, and are said to have been staying in a country house in a small house within Windsor Castle. It was the Queen’s first chance to meet her granddaughter Lillipet, who celebrated her first birthday on Saturday.
The Queen did not attend Thanksgiving service following feeling “uncomfortable” during the day’s parade. She also canceled her visit to the Epsom derby on Saturday.
4. The Queen drink Tea with the bear’s favoritethis is afor a nation
picture released, Getty Images
The Queen drinks tea with a Paddington bear
The 96-year-old made a surprise appearance in a previously secretly filmed video of the festivities, at a pop concert attended by 22,000 fans outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night.
In the video, she met the children’s TV personality, for tea that later spiraled out of control, as the bear drank straight from the teapot and inadvertently sprayed cream on the face of one of the Queen’s aides.
And the bear told Paddington the Queen that he always carried with him a quantity of his favorite treat: a sandwich with marmalade. “So am I,” replied the Queen with a smile, before taking a sandwich out of her bag.
In a poignant moment, the bear looked into the Queen’s eyes and said, “Happy Jubilee, madam. Thank you. For everything.”
5. The Prince of Wales thanks his mother
Later in the festivities, Prince Charles, the heir apparent, paid tribute to his mother and thanked her on behalf of the world.
Next to his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, he began his speech by saying: “Your Majesty, Mama” and the crowd of 22,000 cheered in shock. Instead of using a more formal expression, Prince Charles used the expression “Mama” to thank his mother.
“You laugh and cry with us, and most importantly, you’ve been here for us all these 70 years,” he continued.
The event saw the participation of stars and performances by Queen, Duran Duran and Diana Ross, and achieved nearly 11 million viewers in the United Kingdom.
6. The Queen appears on the balcony at the closing parties jubilee
picture released, Getty Images
After a spectacular parade in central London, attended by the military, celebrities and thousands of volunteers, the royal flag was hoisted over Buckingham Palace, meaning the Queen was there. Soon, the queen appeared on the palace balcony.
She was joined by her son Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, her grandson Prince William, his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge and their three children.
Concerns regarding her health had led to doubts regarding whether she would appear on the palace balcony. In the end, her appearance was brief, she smiled and waved to the crowd before returning inside, and was met with cheers and warm greetings from the audience.
In a thank-you note following a closing ceremony in London, the Queen said she was “grateful and deeply moved” by the platinum jubilee celebrations across the UK.
She added that she remains committed to serving the country as a queen with the support of her family.
