Across the UK, local residents are organizing thousands of street parties to mark the Queen’s 70th jubilee. Far from all residents of West London’s Abingdon Road are uncritical royalists, and yet they celebrate their queen with boozy community spirit and eccentric costumes.
A murmur goes through the crowd, some bow submissively, others joyfully raise their glasses. Holding a princess by the hand, the Queen strides through the street party at the Platinum Royal Jubilee on Abingdon Road and raises her hand in greeting. Of course, it’s not Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II herself who is strutting through west London on a balmy summer’s evening. Rather, Emma Samuel has thrown herself in a costume and wig with her 17-year-old daughter Liberty to celebrate the Queen’s 70th anniversary as her double.
Emma Samuel (right) and her daughter Liberty outside their home in Kensington, west London.
Across the UK, residents are organizing 16,000 street parties over the long weekend to celebrate the Queen’s 70th jubilee.
The pair took inspiration from the Queen’s attire in the 1950s, when the young monarch ascended the throne. “She wore a lot of white, emeralds and a coat against the cold,” explains Emma. A cardboard figure of the Queen stands in the front garden of her Victorian terraced house alongside British flags and images of a red telephone booth and post box, designed as unmistakably British as the Queen’s figure. “The Queen is the longest reigning monarch in our history,” says Emma. “Today we are really proud to be British.”
16,000 street parties for the throne jubilee
Typically, Abingdon Road is part of an affluent, tranquil residential area. But today it is closed to traffic. Instead of cars, there are long garden tables on the street, prepared as if for a banquet with white tablecloths. The UK Association of Local Authorities predicted that local residents would organize a total of 16,000 such street parties across the UK over the two bank holiday weekend.
Sometimes the residents just put a few tables out on the street, string up flags and bring home-cooked food. But the festival on Abingdon Road has grown ever larger since the Queen’s golden and diamond jubilees in 2002 and 2012, according to Matthew Raymond, who runs a travel agency in the area and is one of the organizers. Local restaurants and pubs have set up stalls, and a rock band is playing on a stage. Proceeds from the sale of tickets will go to Ukrainian refugees.
Long garden tables on the open road and British flags characterize the street parties for the Queen’s jubilee.
Michael Raymond is one of the organizers of the Abingdon Road street party.
For Matthew Raymond, who, with his long hair and Union Jack vest, resembles a bearded veteran rocker, the street party is an opportunity to bring the populace together. This serves the sense of community that the Queen is passionate about fostering. “For me, the royal family is part of our tradition and culture, even if I have friends who think it’s all a bunch of crap.”
Better the Queen than a politician
In fact, not all Brits are in a party mood. Some used the long weekend to travel abroad. Others are indifferent to the throne jubilee or criticize the high costs in view of the dramatic rise in prices. Younger Britons see the monarchy generally more skeptical than older ones. “I respect the Queen, but to be honest, the main reason I’m attending the street party is for social reasons,” says 21-year-old Francesca, who declined to give her last name. She put on the British flag as a headscarf for the sake of her mother and little sister, she adds with a laugh. She does feel like a patriot. “But that doesn’t have much to do with the monarchy for me.”
Francesca, 21, wears a British flag as a headscarf but attends the street party mainly for socializing reasons.
The celebrations of the throne jubilee are also intended to strengthen the sense of community among the British population.
However, many long-established Britons who care about the Queen and the monarchy live around Abingdon Road in the posh district of Kensington and Chelsea. Like retired IT consultant Judi Edwards, who is standing at one of the tables in a British-colored gilet. “I’m celebrating the jubilee out of respect for the Queen, who has served the country for an incredible seventy years,” she says. “But you don’t have to ask us Englishmen twice to throw a party,” she adds with a laugh and takes a hearty sip of rosé.
Judi is by no means uncritical of the royals. There is no portrait of the monarch in her living room, she finds Prince Andrew’s sex scandal shameful and to this day accuses Prince Charles of improper behavior towards Diana. But she only has words of praise for Elizabeth II. “The Queen stands for integrity, which I miss in our politicians and especially in the Prime Minister.”
“The Queen stands for integrity”: Judi Edwards at the street party on Abingdon Road in London.
The British Union Jack is omnipresent at the street party – also on ties or suspenders.
Boris Johnson, who had lost much sympathy in the affair surrounding lockdown parties at his seat of government, had to listen to whistles and boos on his arrival at the thanksgiving service in honor of the Queen’s jubilee at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday. With a reference to Johnson, Judi also answers the question of whether she could imagine an elected head of state for Great Britain. “We’re just seeing where that would lead.”
Eccentric costuming
The residents of Abingdon Road are wealthier than the London average, but also typical of the metropolis, as they come from all corners of the world. Britons sit next to French, Pakistanis next to Swedes, Senegalese next to Germans. Sometimes the immigrants are the staunchest royalists. Like the Brazilian Maria Elenilda Marcal, who shows up at the party with her brother and her English husband.
Brazilian and staunch royalist Maria Elenilda Marcal poses for a photo on Abingdon Road with her brother (left) and husband.
The Union Jack is also a must on Maria Elenilda Marcal’s high heels.
“I love the Queen more than anything,” she says. She enjoys reading history books and articles about the royals. On Thursday, she was among thousands of onlookers at the Queen’s Honor Parade down The Mall to catch a glimpse of the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Maria also shares the British penchant for creativity and eccentric costumes. The whole of Abingdon Road lights up in the national colors of red, blue and white. The Union Jack is emblazoned on suspenders, ties, blouses – and on Maria’s heels. In her hands she is holding a self-made gift for the Queen on a silver plate: a figure of the monarch next to a cupcake and a goblet with a small champagne bottle. The arrangement is decorated with the word “Congratulations”.
Seventy years of service to the country
The band plays a rocking version of “God Save the Queen”, the lines in front of the food stands are getting longer. In addition to wine and beer, Abingdon Road offers burgers, Cumberland sausages, scones with cream and jam – or oysters and champagne. At the dessert buffet with chocolate cake and strawberry cake is 63-year-old Nigel Worthy, who has lived in the neighborhood for decades. “We’re a mixed bag here,” he says, “but we all have enormous respect for the Queen.”
A rock band plays at the street party on Abingdon Road in London, and children dance in front of the stage.
Nigel Worthy is a supporter of the monarchy, but his allegiance is deeply tied to the Queen.
Nigel describes himself as a supporter of the monarchy, but admits that his loyalty is deeply tied to the Queen. He therefore believes that the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, will one day find it more difficult to rally the population behind him. The Queen, on the other hand, has been at the service of the country for seventy years and provided stability while Britain went through some craziness. “To this day, she’s happy when people celebrate her,” says Nigel. “It’s not about her, it’s about us.”