The four days of events began on Thursday, when a happy-looking Elizabeth waved to the crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after a military parade and a Royal Air Force flypast. She then directed the lighting of the main platinum jubilee beacon at her residence in Windsor Castle.
The celebrations continue with a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral in London to pay tribute to the sovereign’s 70 years of reign.
But the Queen, who was forced to cancel a string of engagements recently due to “periodic mobility issues”, will be absent. She retired late in the day on Thursday, which somewhat spoiled the festive atmosphere of the day.
“The Queen enjoyed today’s birthday parade and flypast very much, but felt some discomfort,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Officials said the trip from Windsor Castle, where she spends most of her time, to London and the activity involved for the service was too much and a regrettable but sensible decision had been made.
A palace source said the Queen’s hope of attending had always been there, rather than a firm commitment.
She won’t be the only one missing. Her second son, Prince Andrew, 62, has tested positive for COVID-19 and will also miss the service, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Thursday.
This will potentially spare members of the royal family some embarrassment, as Andrew’s reputation was shattered after he settled a US trial in February in which he was accused of sexually abusing a woman while she was underage, which he denied.
However, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who have made virtually no public appearances in Britain since stepping down as royals two years ago, are expected to attend.
The couple moved to the United States to lead a more independent life, and have since launched scathing attacks on Buckingham Palace and the royal family.
The service will include Bible readings, prayers and hymns to express gratitude for Elizabeth’s reign. Political figures from Britain and around the world will be in attendance, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson will give a reading.
“We are gathered today in this cathedral church to offer God our thanks and our praises for the reign of her majesty the queen and in particular for her seventy years of faithful and devoted service”, said David Ison, the dean of St Paul.
The cathedral’s ‘Great Paul’ bell – the largest in the country and dating from 1882 – will also be rung for the first time at a royal event since it was restored last year after a mechanism broke in the 1970s.
After the service, a reception will be hosted at the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor of the City of London.
Thursday marked not only the start of the Jubil, but also the 69th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth, who became queen on the death of her father George VI in February 1952.
She has now been on the throne longer than any of her predecessors in 1,000 years, and is the third longest reigning monarch in a sovereign state. Opinion polls show that she remains extremely popular and respected by the British population.
“She is a very special person in our lives and always has been,” said 74-year-old retired teacher Sandra Wallace, one of tens of thousands of people who packed into central London on Thursday.