Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee 2022: Queen says she is 'deeply touched' by jubilee celebration
The queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
The U.K. threw a once-in-a-generation celebration for Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
The 96-year-old queen is the first British monarch in history to reach a Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years on the throne.
Elizabeth ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI.
The queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration included everything from Trooping the Color to a National Service of Thanksgiving, a star-studded concert led by Diana Ross, thousands of lunches and street parties across the country and a final appearance by the queen herself.
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Diana Ross headlines concert for Queen Elizabeth II
Music royalty is taking the stage Saturday night at Buckingham Palace to honor Queen Elizabeth II.
A who’s who of music and pop culture – including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Beckham, Rod Stewart and Queen + Adam Lambert – are scheduled to perform at the concert, headlined by Diana Ross.
Elizabeth will not be in attendance at the concert, dubbed the Platinum Party At the Palace. The 96-year-old queen, who is dealing with mobility issues, attended Thursday’s Trooping the Color but has since bowed out of other jubilee events.
In her absence, the heirs to the throne, Prince Charles and his son Prince William will attend and are scheduled to make remarks at the concert.
Crowds have lined The Mall outside Buckingham Palace throughout the day in anticipation of the concert, which will be projected onto the palace as it happens and viewable on screens set up across the U.K.
Among the more than 20,000 people watching the concert from the stands will be members of the public who received tickets as well as members of the military, health care workers and volunteers from various charities.
The concert's main stage is set up around the Victoria Memorial outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.
British celebrate Queen Elizabeth II with street parties across the UK
People in the U.K. are taking to the streets to celebrate the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
Thousands of street parties are being held over the four-day holiday weekend.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall took to Twitter to thank the public for their celebrations. “We have been touched to see so many people lining the streets," they wrote.
People around the world can also join in the celebration by trying recipes beloved by the royal family.
A 7-layer lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle that won the jubilee’s Platinum Pudding Competition is the perfect way to celebrate Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne.
The pudding, or dessert, was made by amateur baker Jemma Melvin, 31, of Southport, and beat out over 5,000 entries.
If you prefer to celebrate with a tea party fit for a queen, Carolyn Robb, a former chef for the royal family, shared recipes with “Good Morning America” from her book, “Tea at the Palace.”
And if you would like to try scones specifically made for the queen, try this recipe for royal fruit scones made by Mark Flanagan, the personal chef to the queen and the head chef of the royal household.
Princess Anne fills in for Queen Elizabeth II at horse race
Princess Anne stepped in for her mother, Elizabeth, Saturday at the Epsom Derby, a horse race in Surrey, England.
Anne, the only daughter of the queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, was spotted waving to crowds and speaking with officials at Epsom Downs.
Elizabeth was scheduled to attend the race as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations but Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday she would not attend. The 96-year-old queen, whose love for horses is well known, is expected to watch the race on television at Windsor Castle, according to the palace.
Jockeys at this year’s race honored the queen by wearing her official racing silks, according to a tweet from the Epsom Downs Twitter account.
Harry, Meghan to miss Platinum Jubilee events on Lili’s 1st birthday
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are not expected to appear at any Platinum Jubilee events Saturday as they mark their daughter's first birthday.
A spokesperson for the couple said they “are planning to spend Saturday together privately as a family.”
The couple’s daughter, Lilibet "Lili" Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, turns 1 on Saturday, a birthday she is celebrating in the U.K., as both she and her brother, Archie, 3, traveled with their parents to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The trip is believed to be Lili’s first visit to the U.K. and the first opportunity for her to meet her namesake, Elizabeth, whose family nickname is Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan have so far made one public appearance at the jubilee, joining royal family members Friday at a National Service of Thanksgiving for the queen at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
The Sussexes have for the past two years lived in California, where Lili was born. She is the first senior royal baby born in the U.S. and the first great-grandchild of the queen to be born outside of the U.K.
The royal family head to Guildhall after service at St. Paul’s
The National Service of Thanksgiving has concluded after nearly an hour.
Following the service, the bells at St. Paul’s Cathedral will be rung for a continuous four hours with no breaks in between.
According to a press release, members of the St Paul’s Cathedral Guild of Ringers "will ring 'Stedman Cinques'" and "will be joined by Great Paul, the largest church bell in the UK," which weighs in at more than 16 tons.
The Great Paul bell was restored in 2021 and this will be the first time it has been rung for a royal occasion.
Royal family members will now head over to a reception at Guildhall, hosted by Vincent Keaveny, the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the City of London Corporation.