This bank holiday weekend, Britain has brought out the red, white, and blue bunting in full force to celebrate Her
Majesty’s historic 70th year on the throne.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee has prompted the country to hold a four-day royal celebration, with families, schools,
and entire communities uniting to honor the British monarch.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade, headed by Prince Charles and accompanied by Prince William and Anne, Princess
Royal on horseback, began this morning with the heir inspecting troops from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, as well
as over 1,500 officers and men from the Household Division.
Her Majesty made one of two appearances on the Buckingham Palace Balcony today to observe the RAF flypast,
which will feature Spitfires, Red Arrow Hawks, and a Lancaster bomber. For Her Majesty, the Red Arrows performed
a stunning formation with the number 70.
The event will feature more than three times the number of planes that flew over central London during the Queen’s
last birthday parade flypast in 2019.
The fleet will depart from military locations throughout the United Kingdom before forming holding patterns in the
south-east of England. They’ll then fly straight down The Mall until the first group arrives at Buckingham Palace at 1 p.m.
However, Britons across the country have been honoring the Queen in their own unique ways, including street
parties, miles of bunting, and even scarecrows dressed as members of the royal family.
There are a number of scarecrows dressing up as Her Majesty around the UK, with one in Launton, Oxfordshire,
sipping a drink of gin in her dog-walking attire while holding a sign that reads, ‘Cheers to 70 years!’
Summer-Rose Jeffries is lucky enough to have her birthday coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, and she
couldn’t be happier with her unique three-tiered Victoria Sponge cake, garnished with strawberries, raspberries, and
blueberries, made by her Nanny and Granddad.
Luka Grajdek made a Victoria Sponge cake for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, and while photographing it, a
cloud in the shape of the United Kingdom appeared in the background.
A Platinum Jubilee street party was held on Middleton Street in Llandrindod, Wales, with around 500 people in
attendance. Party hats with Union Jacks were worn by many in attendance.
The Queen, Charles and Camilla, William and Kate with George, Charlotte, and Louis, Edward and Sophie with their
children Louise and James, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester,
the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra will all be watching from the balcony.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as the Duke and Duchess of York, will not be present on the balcony.
After their private flight landed at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire on Wednesday, the Queen dispatched a
limousine and security detail to fetch the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as their two young children, Archie,
three, and Lilibet, who will turn one on Saturday.
Her Majesty’s Land Rover greeted the Californian family and their children before bringing them on a 40-minute trip
to their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, which is just a short distance from Windsor Castle.
Following today’s activities, the monarch hopes to be able to join her extended family at St Paul’s Cathedral for a
Thanksgiving ceremony on Friday.
On Sunday, as part of the Big Jubilee Lunch, there will be outdoor festivities, as well as a televised concert from
Buckingham Palace the day before.
She is also anticipated to return to the balcony once the Pageant parade concludes on Sunday.
The Queen, who is 96 years old, will also spend time with the Sussexes, who are bringing their children Archie and
Lilibet over from the United States – and may meet Lili for the first time on Saturday, when she celebrates her first
birthday.
Thousands of people will gather throughout the country on Sunday to celebrate the Queen’s record-breaking 70-
year reign with over 85,000 Big Jubilee Lunches and street festivities.
Over the weekend, members of the royal family will travel to every corner of the UK for formal engagements, with
William and Kate visiting Wales, Edward and Sophie visiting Northern Ireland, and Anne visiting Scotland.
And they’ll be greeted with tens of thousands of Union Jacks, as the country has gone all out when it comes to
bunting up its high streets.
The celebrations have spread beyond the United Kingdom, with one patriotic German erecting flags of the United
Kingdom’s four nations, the Royal Standard, and even miniature black-hatted redcoats defending his home as they
do the royal homes in Britain.
Stephen Rosner, 57, of Mainz, western Germany, decked out his home with all the royal trinkets he could find. He
informed MailOnline that he will be having tea with some pals to commemorate the Jubilee this bank holiday
Thursday at 5 p.m.
He said: ‘At the time of the Queen’s visit to Germany in 1978, I was 14 and happened to be watching television
when the festivities were broadcast. It made a deep and lasting impression on me and it turned out that this
moment would quite literally change my life.
‘Ever since then, I have been fascinated by everything connected with Great Britain, including its history, its people,
its way of life, its royal family and especially Her Majesty.’