Thousands gather to salute Queen Elizabeth as Platinum Jubilee
celebrations begin
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[June 02, 2022] By
Michael Holden and Kate Holton
LONDON (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of
royal supporters lined the streets of London on Thursday to celebrate
Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee and kick off four days of pomp,
parties and parades to mark her record-breaking 70 years on the British
throne.
Millions of people across Britain and the world are expected to join
street parties, watch the festivities and light beacons in honour of the
96-year-old queen, the government said. She has reigned for longer than
any of her predecessors.
Senior members of the royal family including Elizabeth's son and heir
Prince Charles, his eldest son William and wife Kate arrived at a
military parade on horseback or in an open carriage to huge cheers,
while world leaders also sent messages of goodwill.
"Thank you to everyone who has been involved in convening communities,
families, neighbours and friends to mark my Platinum Jubilee, in the
United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth," the queen, who appeared on
the balcony of Buckingham Palace during a military parade, said in a
statement.
"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."
Families and friends gathered in bright sunshine on the main grand roads
running up to Buckingham Palace, cheering the regimental marching bands,
waving Union flags and wearing paper crowns. Many had slept on the
streets to secure a good position.
Others descended on nearby parks to enjoy picnics and follow the
proceedings on big screens.
A number of people caused a brief disturbance by running out in front of
marching soldiers on the Mall boulevard before they were dragged away by
police. Police said several people were arrested for public order
offences.
In a sign of the monarch's age and recent "episodic mobility" issues
that have led her to cancel some engagements, Elizabeth's personal
involvement in the events will be somewhat limited compared with
previous major gatherings.
MILITARY PARADE
Thursday marks not only the start of the Jubilee, but also the 69th
anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth, who became queen on the
death of her father George VI in February 1952.
The celebrations began with the Trooping the Colour,
a military parade in central London where 1,500 soldiers marched to
military music in ceremonial uniforms of scarlet tunics and bearskin
hats.
Elizabeth, holding a walking stick and wearing a dusky dove blue outfit
that she also wore for an official Jubilee photograph released on
Thursday, took the salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
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Britain's Prince William rides on horseback during the Trooping the
Colour parade in celebration of Britain's Queen Elizabeth's Platinum
Jubilee, in London, Britain June 2, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls
Senior royals, including Charles, 73, and William, 39, will also
carry out other ceremonial duties on the queen's behalf, although
much attention will be focused on those who will not be present.
The queen's second son Prince Andrew, 62, who settled a U.S. lawsuit
in February in which he was accused of sexually abusing a woman when
she was underage, is not expected to attend.
Her grandson Prince Harry, now living in Los Angeles with his
American wife Meghan, watched the parade but will be absent when the
royal family gathers on the palace balcony to watch a fly-past by
modern and historic Royal Air Force planes after the parade.
There will also be gun salutes in London, across Britain and from
Royal Navy ships at sea at midday. In the evening beacons will be
lit across the country and the Commonwealth, with the queen leading
the lighting of the Principal Platinum Jubilee Beacon at her Windsor
Castle home.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis and former British
prime ministers were among those sending messages of goodwill.
Opinion polls show she remains hugely popular and respected among
British people, with one survey this week showing eight in 10 people
held a positive view of her, and another found three-quarters
thought she had done a good job as queen.
"I cannot think of any other public figure, any other celebrity, any
other president ... who could possibly have remained so popular,"
former Prime Minister John Major told BBC radio.
"Her life has been played out in public - the highs, the lows, the
good bits and not so good bits. The queen has represented our better
selves for over 70 years," said Major, one of 14 leaders to have
served under Elizabeth.
Not everyone will be joining in the festivities though.
Anti-monarchy campaign group Republic, which is putting up the
message "Make Elizabeth the last" on billboards across Britain, said
another poll showed more than half of the public were not interested
in the jubilee.
(Reporting by Michael Holden and Natalie Thomas; Editing by Angus
MacSwan, Raissa Kasolowsky and Frances Kerry)
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