The Royal Marines played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” as the crowd sang as the Queen looked on at the wide crowd, stretching as far as the eye could see.
The Queen was last seen in public on Thursday, the first day of festivities during the record-breaking Platinum Jubilee. After that appearance, also on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, the palace issued a statement saying that the Queen was withdrawing from some events after feeling “some discomfort”. It returned to Windsor Castle, which is now its main base.
As the long jubilee week drew to a close, the Queen sent a letter of thanks.
In a statement from the palace, Queen Elizabeth R said: “When it comes to how to celebrate 70 years of being your queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I was humbled and deeply moved that so many people took to the streets to celebrate the platinum Jubilee.
“Although I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with all of you; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, with the support of my family.
“I have been inspired by the kindness, joy, and kinship that have been so evident in recent days, and I hope that this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.”
The Queen’s appearance on Sunday was not scheduled. But the eagle-eyed royal fans at the palace on the last day of the four-day celebration noticed that the standard royal flag, flown only when the king is at his residence, was hoisted over Buckingham Palace in the afternoon.
The palace had said there would be a “surprise” on the final day, but it was not clear if it would be an appearance for Britain’s 96-year-old king, who has pulled out of other events.
She managed to be the star of a party at the palace on Saturday night, appearing in a pictorial with Paddington Bear.
Crowds gathered in the palace and nearby streets on Sunday for the Jubilee Festival, a carnival that hit the streets and included the Gold State Coach, an elaborate carriage that required eight horses to pull, and even then moved at walking speed. Shots of the Queen were shown in their windows, so she appeared to be sitting in the carriage.
Harry and Meghan, the Duke of Sussex, did not appear alongside other members of the royal family who took part in the festivities on Sunday. They kept a low profile over the long weekend of the Jubilee, making only one public appearance during Thanksgiving Mass at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands took part in the weekend street parties for the “Great Jubilee Lunch,” some of which ended early due to the good British weather. Street parties, a tradition that began after World War I, are an integral part of major royal events.
Buckingham Palace said more than 85,000 people had signed up to host the grand jubilee lunch, where Prince Charles and Camilla laid down a bag of feed at Oval cricket ground in London.
At one in southwest London, there was so much good that neighbors took part in a cake baking contest. There was no sign of the platinum dessert – the official dessert for the occasion, which requires five hours of prep time – but there was face painting and some badminton on the streets. A local firetruck appeared and young firefighters helped spray the children with a hose, to everyone’s delight.
Looking at the scene, Kwame Gyamvi, 43, a mechanical design engineer, said street parties, which are not so frequent, “are required to bring people together. He said, referring to a prison Corona Virus pandemic.
In Colchester, a city in southeast England founded by the Romans, there was a lot of partying – partly because it was one of the oldest “cities” in England, and was given “city” status for jubilee celebrations (which means more money for city coffers) .
Lynn Gildia, a retired teacher who organized one of the big lunches, smiled with quiet satisfaction when neighbors brought over plates of Poppy Cake, Victoria Sponge and Chelsea Buns—and beer cans, bubble bottles, and appropriate pots of tea.
And the food kept coming – until the tables groaned.
Gildia thought the big lunch was just another gift from the king – an opportunity for people to rejoice – and talk about property values and commute times.
“I’m not a huge royal,” she said, “but this one’s one in a million.”
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