(London) Having become rare in public due to her declining health, Elizabeth II was cheered on Thursday by tens of thousands of people on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, on the first day of the celebrations of her 70 years of reign, an unprecedented longevity for the British monarchy.
Posted at 6:30 a.m.
Updated at 8:14 a.m.
It was the highly anticipated high point of the four-day platinum jubilee festivities of the ultra-popular 96-year-old sovereign, a symbol of stability despite the upheavals the country has been through, appreciated for her tireless dedication, her irreproachable neutrality and her tongue-in-cheek humor.
The Queen, who ascended the throne at the age of 25 on February 6, 1952 when her father George VI died, stepped onto the most famous balcony in the world, dressed in a dove-blue ensemble, leaning motionless on a cane. She was accompanied by the Duke of Kent, a cousin colonel of the Scots Guards – one of the elite regiments of the British Royal Guard – who greeted participants in the annual ‘Hail to the Colours’ military parade.
She returned to the balcony a little later, for a Royal Air Force flyover, this time accompanied by members of the Royal Family who have official duties and their children. Absent therefore Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who attended the parade discreetly from another building, for their first return together to the United Kingdom since their sensational departure from California in 2020. Also missing was Prince Andrew, who paid million dollars to end a sexual assault complaint.
” To reinvent oneself ”
For this holiday, a dense crowd, colored with flags and portraits of the Queen, gathered along the Mall, the avenue leading to the palace.
“It’s a unique day, it won’t happen again as long as I’m alive: 70 years on the throne,” said Peter, questioned by AFP in the audience.
“It only happens once in a lifetime”, adds Mark Cornell, who came especially from the north of England, who nevertheless assures that he is not an unconditional fan of the monarchy: “they must reinvent themselves for the new generations. “.
On horseback, the heirs of Elizabeth II, Princes Charles and William, marched in the famous red outfit with a long bearskin cap for the traditional annual parade, bringing together more than 1,200 soldiers and hundreds of musicians. Their respective wives, Camilla and Kate, arrived in a carriage with the latter’s three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
Never has a British sovereign reigned as long as Elizabeth. It is unlikely that another will achieve such longevity: Charles, the crown prince is 73 years old, his son William will soon be 40 years old.
For the British, this jubilee brings respite and a moment of communion after several years of heartbreak over Brexit and strict confinements due to COVID-19, now followed by soaring prices.
Pennants, flags and giant portraits were hung in the streets across the UK. After Thursday’s parade, the Queen is due to light a 21-metre-high tree-shaped sculpture in front of Buckingham Palace in the evening from a distance from Windsor Castle. Then a mass is scheduled for Friday, a giant concert on Saturday and above all tens of thousands of popular gatherings, including giant picnics on Sunday.
Growing role for Charles
“I hope that the next few days will be an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved over the past 70 years, while looking to the future with confidence and enthusiasm,” the sovereign, head of the country, said in a written message. state of 15 kingdoms, from the United Kingdom to Canada to New Zealand.
Congratulations poured in from around the world, with French President Emmanuel Macron hailing his “dedication” to the Franco-British “unwavering friendship”. Even Irish Republican Party Sinn Fein has highlighted its role in the Northern Ireland peace process, a move long unimaginable from the former IRA political showcase.
Confirmed only Wednesday evening by the palace, the appearances of Elizabeth II, which have become rare, are eagerly awaited. Because her health worries: since a night in the hospital in October, she has canceled almost all her official appearances.
Weakened since the death of her husband Philip last year, she has trouble walking. She shows no willingness to back down, however, and has made several surprise appearances recently, smiling and relaxed.
In this atmosphere of end of reign, the monarchy finds itself confronted with growing criticism, particularly in the former colonies, concerning the slavery past of the British Empire.
In the United Kingdom, the queen remains much loved by her subjects with 75% of favorable opinions according to the YouGov institute, but her heir Charles is much less appreciated (50%). Only 39% of Britons think the institution will still exist in 100 years.