An unprecedented milestone has been reached by Queen Elizabeth II. On Thursday, 2 June, she completes 70 years since her coronation as the Queen of the United Kingdom and all the other Commonwealth realms.
From Thursday to Sunday, the UK government will, for the British public, host events and installations that will, according to Bloomberg, "mix traditional pageantry with cutting edge technological displays" in villages, cities and towns all over the country.
Millions of British people are gearing up for street parties to mark the monarch's 70 years on the throne over the four-day bank holiday weekend.
The celebrations will kick off with a parade of thousands of soldiers down the Mall in London. An RAF (Royal Air Force) flypast of 70 aircraft includes the Red Arrow display team and the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring Spitfires, Hurricanes among other aircrafts.
Around sunset, thousands of flaming beacons will be lit across the UK and the world, starting in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and ending in Belize in the Caribbean.
'We Look to the Future': Queen Thanks Nations
In a message to the public, she thanked the for organising the events and also said that "many happy memories" would be made.
"I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last 70 years, as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm," her message said.
The golden State Coach is one of the centerpieces of the jubilee celebrations.
The golden State Coach.
(Photo: Twitter/@simonmhickson)
It is a closed chariot-like vehicle weighing four tons on the coronation route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace on Sunday.
The Queen rode in it during her wedding and to her coronation, and also many state openings of Parliament, and not to forget, in her Silver and Golden Jubilee processions.
This time, however, the State Coach will ride empty on Windsor Grey horses, due to the mobility issues that the 96-year-old monarch faces, according to the BBC.
She is expected to attend very few events of the jubilee celebrations, although she "hopes" to attend as many of them as she can, according to the Royal Palace.
The Queen Makes a Balcony Appearance
The Queen took a salute on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
She is expected to join her family members again there at the end of the airshow (involving 70 aircrafts flying over the Buckingham Palace) and other events.
Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, or Meghan, were not there on the balcony. Only "working royals" have been invited to the event.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had said two days ago that "over the coming days, the city will light up and celebrate the national unity and pride that connects us all, showcasing the best of British, embodied by Her Majesty the Queen herself."
"With every concert and every street party, may we all rejoice in celebrating the love, devotion and leadership that has made her well and truly Elizabeth the Great," his statement had added, according to the Evening Standard.
(With inputs from Bloomberg, the BBC, The Evening Standard and The Guardian.)
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