Over the next four days, more than 200,000 events spread across the UK celebrate the 70th anniversary of the country’s longest-serving monarch, Elizabeth II. From Thursday (2) to Sunday (5), the political and cost-of-living crisis is expected to be temporarily dampened by the celebrations around the Queen.
Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when she was on an official trip to Kenya following the death of her father, King George Fifth. It was not until June 2, 1953, however, that the 25-year-old was crowned, in a televised ceremony at Westminster Abbey – it is to this date that the British holiday of the next few days refers.
In addition to the national challenges that the event aims to appease, there are internal crises within the royal family itself. These, by the way, will be expressed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, in London: in the traditional place of appearance of the monarchy, only the queen and those who have public functions of royalty will be present. So, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are left out.
Andrew, the Queen’s son, was involved in a sexual abuse scandal. In February, he signed an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, a woman who accuses him of having had sex with her when she was a minor. Before that, however, at the end of 2019, he had already announced his retirement from public life.
Prince Harry, the monarch’s grandson, and Meghan Markle withdrew from their royal roles in 2021 and moved to the United States. Meghan even made accusations of racism against royals during an interview with presenter Oprah Winfrey – Elizabeth II said the allegations would be “taken very seriously”.
The 96-year-old monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations include official events, such as military parades, religious acts and parties with celebrities, but also thousands of street celebrations, such as picnics, often conceived by the residents themselves.
Postman Luke Francis, for example, is organizing a cream tea, a traditional British afternoon coffee, in Cornwall, southwest England. This is the second time he has organized such an action: ten years ago, he made another tea, at the time to celebrate Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee — the monarch’s 60th anniversary on the throne.
“I don’t think that will ever happen again, it’s been going strong for 70 years,” he told the BBC. “It’s a milestone that needs to be celebrated by all of us.”
The monarchy’s weight in UK politics has shifted, and support has fallen among younger people, but the bulk of the British population is in favor of the Queen. A poll by The Sun newspaper released this week shows that she has 91.7% favorable opinions, while Prince Charles, first in line to the throne, has 67.5%.
Since taking office, the Queen has accompanied 14 UK prime ministers. The first was Winston Churchill, who captained the country during World War II and, to this day, is one of the best-known figures in British history.
Now, Elizabeth follows the management of Boris Johnson, prime minister involved in a political crisis after attending several parties in Downing Street, the seat of government, during the Covid pandemic, when there were confinement rules in England. Politically worn out, he has lost support from his supporters and has seen his Conservative party suffer defeats in the last regional elections.
The UK has witnessed the death of more than 178,000 citizens as a result of Covid since the beginning of the pandemic. The queen was infected with the virus in February. Official information said she had only mild symptoms of the disease.
Elizabeth II’s health, by the way, will be in the spotlight. Last October, the monarch had to rest and was hospitalized for medical examinations. Since then, she has faced mobility issues and reduced the frequency of public appearances.
In mid-May, for example, she was replaced by Prince Charles at the opening ceremony of the parliamentary session, with the reading of the legislative program drawn up by the government for the next 12 months. That was the first time in 59 years that Elizabeth did not attend. Later, however, in images released probably to dispel rumors, he went to an equestrian event — the queen loves horses — with the presence of Tom Cruise.
View the schedule of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Thursday, June 2
Trooping the Color (or banner parade): Around 1,500 military personnel, 400 musicians and 250 horses will parade through central London, between Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards Parade square. The event annually marks the Queen’s birthday.
Friday, June 3
religious event: A Thanksgiving Mass takes place at St. Paul, an important monument in London. The big bell at the venue — the largest in the country, weighing 16.5 tons — will be rung.
Saturday, 4th of July
Party: Nearly 22,000 people — including 5,000 workers in essential sectors during the pandemic — are invited to a big show in front of Buckingham Palace, to be broadcast by the BBC.
Sunday, 5th of July
O big lunch: More than 60,000 people, according to the royal family, have signed up to attend grand lunches, with events ranging from world record attempts for the longest street party to backyard barbeques.
