Elise Fraley
Because of her health, Elizabeth II stayed away from the main ceremonies that had been organized for four days throughout the 70 years of her reign. And that, even if she appears suddenly on the balcony of Buckingham Palace accompanied by her heirs Charles, 73, and William, who will soon turn 40, with their wives and children, embodies the future of the monarchy.
She wrote that the 96-year-old had sent a hand-signed and published letter of thanks published by Buckingham Palace to the thousands of people who attended the festivities and events organized in her honor.
“I was so moved that so many people took to the streets to celebrate my platinum jubilee,” she said. And to add: “Although I did not attend each event in person, my heart is with all of you; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my abilities, with the support of my family.” We hope that this “renewed sense of loneliness” will continue for “many years to come.”
Even if the Queen has no intention of abdicating the throne, faithful to a promise already formulated in 1947 to serve her subjects all her life, she is preparing them for the future. Her heir Charles represents her more and more.
Tea with Paddington Bear
During the festivities, Elizabeth II left her heirs front and center, underlining her gradual withdrawal in recent months and the impression many of those in attendance had at the end-of-era festivities after an unprecedented reign that began on February 6, 1952 in the United Kingdom remains a colonial empire.
Besides her appearance on the balcony, she marked her attendance with another surprise on Saturday. Known for her sense of duty as well as her sense of humor, the Queen filmed a short video where she had tea with Paddington Bear, a goofy icon of British children’s literature.
Then she beat the time with a silver spoon on her porcelain cup, coinciding with the opening of the concert. The viewership rating reached a peak of 13.4 million viewers on the BBC.
