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Britain prepares to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee
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The four days of events begin on Thursday (June 2) with the traditional “Trooping the Colour” military parade in central London, which will be followed by a flypast of modern and historic aircraft.
The Alarabiya English reported, citing Reuters, Britain will mark Queen Elizabeth’s record-breaking 70 years on the throne this week with four days of celebrations, ranging from military parades and a church service to street parties and a pop concert outside Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth, 96, marked seven decades on the throne in February, and two public holidays have been set aside to create a four-day weekend for nationwide events commemorating her reign from June 2-5.
It is not clear how many of these the monarch herself will attend, having been forced to miss a number of official engagements in recent months because of what Buckingham Palace calls “episodic mobility issues”. Royal officials say her attendance will be decided on the day.
The four days of events begin on Thursday (June 2) with the traditional “Trooping the Colour” military parade in central London, which will be followed by a flypast of modern and historic aircraft.
The queen is also due to make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to greet the crowds, although the two most controversial members of the royal family - her son Prince Andrew and grandson Prince Harry - will be absent.
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During her seven decades on the throne, the queen has been a symbol of stability for the country during huge social, economic and political change, including the end of the British Empire.
The Speaker of parliament’s House of Commons said in a statement: “Not only has your majesty been a constant presence in the lives of most of your subjects, but you are also the third longest serving monarch in world history."
Polls show she remains very popular and well-respected, although they suggest growing indifference to the monarchy among younger people.
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A YouGov survey for the Republic campaign group last Thursday also found that more than half of those surveyed were not interested in the jubilee.
“Rather than being a national celebration, the jubilee is a minority interest,” said Graham Smith from Republic. “The lack of interest across the country and all age groups under 65 shows the monarchy’s future is in serious doubt.”
Source: alarabiyaenglish
