On February 6^th  this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four- day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday, June 2^nd  to Sunday, June 5^th . The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service. 

The Queen’s Birthday Parade was held yesterday, on Thursday, June 2^nd.  The color was trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, and more than 1200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division were on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and around 240 horses. This annual event has now marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years.

However, today The Queen will miss a service of thanksgiving at St.  Paul’s Cathedral for her 70 year reign on Friday, after experiencing “some discomfort” during the first day of her Platinum Jubilee celebration. The Queen appeared at Buckingham Palace on Thursday during the festivities and participated in a beacon lighting ceremony from Windsor Castle in the evening. “The Queen greatly enjoyed today’s Birthday Parade and Flypast but did experience some discomfort,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement. “Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend,” it continued. Earlier Thursday, the 96-year-old Queen looked on from the palace’s famous balcony at a sea of red, white and blue as huge, flag-waving crowds flocked to the Mall to see the monarch and her family.

And after seven decades of duty, the sovereign certainly lived up to her reputation as a loyal crowd-pleaser. She may not have been up to the ceremonial role of riding on horseback as part of Trooping the Color, but she nonetheless delighted fans by her presence on the balcony following the military parade. Dressed in a dusky dove blue Angela Kelly ensemble with matching hat, the Queen smiled as she received the salute as soldiers and officers returned from Horse Guards Parade following the conclusion of her birthday parade.

Let’s only hope and pray, that after a brisk “cuppa” The Queen, will be able to participate in the festivities in the next few days.