Parade, pageant and nationwide street parties on final day of celebrations
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Sunday's Jubilee Pageant will include a military parade, cultural representation from across the Commonwealth and a musical finale topped by Ed Sheeran.
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Thousands of street parties are taking place across the U.K. on Sunday for the finale of Britain’s four-day celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The celebration of her 70-year reign has already been marked by the Trooping the Color military parade, a flypast of 70 aircraft, a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a concert and spectacular light show outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night.
The final act is the Jubilee Pageant, a four-act procession currently taking place on the streets of London that includes a military parade, theater, cultural representation from across the Commonwealth and a musical finale topped by Ed Sheeran.
Even the weather is suitably British, with rain and temperatures topping the mid-60s across the country. But the grey weather could not dampen the spirits as the nation celebrates the life of its 96-year-old monarch.
The Royal Standard flag flies above Buckingham Palace
The Union flag is taken down and the Royal Standard flag is raised, signifying the queen is at Buckingham Palace. The Royal Standard flag is flown whenever the queen is present.
It can't all go to plan
One of the open-topped vehicles had to be pushed by four men in yellow vests. But the parade carried on regardless.
And we're off!
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant has started, marking the beginning of the finale to the weekend's celebrations. Spearheading the parade is the Gold State Coach. Although the queen is not riding inside, a hologram of the monarch in her younger years was seen waving in the window.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, are watching from the royal box, along with several other family members. Speculation still abounds whether the queen herself will appear.
The pageant will feature four acts: “For Queen and Country,” a military parade to recognize the country’s armed forces; “The Time of Our Lives,” celebrating the cultural and technological innovations during the queen’s 70-year reign; “Let’s celebrate,” a festival of music and dance, including from around the Commonwealth; and “Happy and Glorious,” a performance by “national treasures from the world of the performing arts, entertainment, fashion, business and media,” including Ed Sheeran, the palace says.
Thousands to take part in Jubilee Pageant
Around 10,000 people will take part in the Jubilee Pageant, a 1.8-mile procession in the streets around Buckingham Palace starting at 2:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. ET). The parade will involve the military, theater and musical artists, as well as "key workers" from the NHS.
The pageant will be led by the Gold State Coach, an ornate royal carriage weighing 4 tons and dating back to the 1760s, in which the queen rode during her 1953 coronation and silver and golden jubilees. The queen will not ride in it today, however.
Meanwhile, some 16,000 street parties have been registered across the U.K. And an estimated 10 million people are expected to join in — around 1/6th of the U.K.'s population — said Peter Stewart, executive director at the charity the Eden Project, which is coordinating some of the events.
A day of Britishness — including the weather
So far, Britain has celebrated the jubilee while enjoying relatively warm, sunny weather. That's taken a turn.
Rain is forecast across much of the country Sunday, with the Met Office, the U.K.'s national weather service, issuing a thunderstorm warning for England and Wales until 6 p.m. local time (1 p.m. ET).
It will be cooler too, with temperatures staying in the 50s to mid-60s.
Queen meets Paddington Bear for jubilee celebrations
Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear having cream tea at Buckingham Palace taken from a film that was shown at the BBC Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday. Handout / Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II was seen meeting with Paddington Bear in a sketch which opened a concert that was part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Buckingham Palace on Saturday.
Although she did not attend the event in person, the monarch's meeting with the animated character was broadcast onto the front of the building.
Just as she did at the 2012 London Olympics, when she appeared in a pre-recorded video with Daniel Craig’s James Bond, the queen played along with the joke, acting alongside the CGI bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw.
As the pair took cream tea, both confessed to carrying around a marmalade sandwich.
Prince Charles leads tributes to queen at jubilee concert
Prince Charles led the tributes to his mother at a Platinum Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace Saturday.
On the third day of events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th year on the throne, Charles told the crowd of thousands that she had “been with us in our difficult times. And you bring us together to celebrate moments of pride, joy and happiness.”
Prince Charles, flanked by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, at Buckingham Palace on Saturday. WPA Pool / Getty Images
The queen, 96, did not attend the concert and has not made any public appearances since Thursday when she was seen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with other members of the royal family. She did not attend a thanksgiving service at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday because of mobility issues.
Charles told the crowd he “wanted to pay my own tribute to your lifetime of selfless service.
