Great Britain celebrated its queen for days. Now the British are coming together again at thousands of picnics – and heir to the throne Prince Charles has a wish for the future.
At the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th jubilee, Britons all over the country celebrated their head of state with joint picnics. In parks, on boardwalks, in retirement homes and on streets, people sat together and shared sandwiches, salads, quiches and sausage rolls. In London’s cricket stadium “The Oval”, heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife, Duchess Camilla, also took part in a “Jubilee Lunch”, the Queen’s daughter-in-law cutting a cake.
In the afternoon a huge street parade called the “Jubilee Pageant” started in London. Led by the Golden State Coach, which last traveled 20 years ago, members of the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force marched down the Mall, along with 200 horsemen. They were followed by members of numerous clubs, who recreated scenes from the Queen’s 70-year reign, under the eyes of Prince Charles, the heir to the throne.
“Jubilee Peagant” shows changes in society
The change in British society since 1952 was reflected, for example in the areas of music, fashion and youth culture. Cars from all decades took part. In total, more than 10,000 participants attended the street parade. The conclusion should be 150 “national treasures”, including celebrities such as football legend Gary Lineker.
The evening before, the Queen had been honored with a huge concert in front of Buckingham Palace. Her eldest son, Prince Charles, thanked his “mommy” for her decades of leadership and dedication to the country. The 96-year-old Queen, who keeps resting due to mobility issues, was absent. However, she opened the show in a taped short film starring the popular film character Paddington.
Queen’s Jubilee Picnics
At the “Jubilee Lunch” at the South London cricket stadium The Oval on Sunday afternoon, according to other guests, Charles called for the feeling of community to be maintained – and not to return to the argument after the four-day celebrations.
It is estimated that millions of people took part in the “Big Lunch” at around 16,000 events. All residents could register festivals beforehand, and there were also numerous publicly organized events. Some municipalities had waived the fees that are actually due for road closures to allow parties.
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife, Countess Sophie, represented the Queen at a luncheon in Windsor. The palace shared photos showing Duchess Kate, wife of Queen’s grandson Prince William, baking cakes with their three children. The desserts were intended for a street party in the Welsh capital Cardiff, it said.
