Due to her declining health, the Queen missed most of her Platinum Jubilee festivities.
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Finally, she was there. Largely absent from her platinum jubilee due to her declining health, theQueen Elizabeth II made a surprise appearance on Sunday, June 5, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowd, on the last day of the festivities of her 70-year reign.
Accompanied by her heirs Prince Charles, 73, and William, soon to be 40, with wives and children, embodying the future of the monarchy, she greeted the tens of thousands of people massed on the Mall, the avenue leading to the palace. Leaning on a cane, dressed in green, she stayed while the anthem “God Save The Queen” was played and then left.
The 96-year-old monarch, who has difficulty walking, has stayed away from the main festivities organized for her 70-year reign, a record longevity. She did not attend the religious ceremony on Friday, nor her beloved horse races on Saturday, nor the giant concert in front of her palace, and did not speak publicly.
Its exit had not been announced and was the subject of speculation throughout the parade concluding its jubilee through central London, which saw a succession of 260-year-old golden carriages, soldiers in ceremonial dress come from all over the Commonwealth, then actors, dancers and even puppets of corgis, his favorite dogs, for a carnival-like parade. It was only fifteen minutes before her appearance that the suspense was lifted: the flag was raised at the top of the mast overlooking the palace, a sign that the monarch is there, delighting the public present.