London
CNN
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The second day of celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign began with members of the Royal Family, including Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, at a religious service at the famed St Paul’s Cathedral in central London on Friday joined in.
The queen, however, remained at home After Experiencing “Discomfort” on ThursdayFirst day of Platinum Jubilee. Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday evening that the Queen “enjoyed” the jubilee It was decided to recall the Friday service after the opening events and “with great reluctance” after “taking into account the travel and activity required to participate”.
The Queen expressed joy to thousands of supporters by waving the flag twice on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson told CNN on Friday that the Queen will be watching the Thanksgiving service on television from Windsor Castle. There was another notable absence from religious service after his son, Prince Andrew. test positive for coronavirus,
Meghan and Harry, who flew from the US for the anniversary celebrations, were warmly received by the crowd that arrived to cheers. Prior to the incident, there was much speculation in the British press about how the couple would be received. Following his decision to step back from the royal family And moved to California two years ago.
The public was less enthusiastic about British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was delighted and excited when he arrived with his wife, Carrie.
The last guests to arrive at St Paul’s were Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, followed by Prince Charles – the heir to the throne – and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.
More than 400 people from all four countries of the United Kingdom were invited to the event in recognition of the Queen’s lifetime service. According to Buckingham Palace, the congregation included prominent activists, teachers and public servants as well as representatives of the armed forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was also in the audience.
The service was an occasion for the royals to come together in recognition of the much-loved matriarchy.
“Yesterday it was a big party, a big grand, spectacular, party, a flypast and a wonderful tribute to the armed service. But today is much more serious,” said royal historian Kate Williams of CNN.
The event was the first time the public was able to get a good glimpse of Harry and Meghan. They sat in the second row with Prince Andrew’s daughters Princess Eugenie and Beatrice and their husbands.
The couple also attended the Trooping the Color ceremony on Thursday, But watching proceedings from the Major General’s office overlooking the Horse Guards Parade kept a low profile in what was their first joint outing at the royal event in two years.
Harry and Meghan did not join other members of the royal family for the traditional balcony appearance after the parade as the Queen decided last month that only working royals would be invited at that moment.
Trooping the Color celebrated the Queen’s official birthday, while it was also a curtain-raiser for her four-day jubilee weekend, The festivities will also include a concert at the palace on Saturday and a pageant on Sunday.
The theme of Friday morning’s event, formally called “National Service of Thanks for Celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee”, was public service. Led by David Ison, Dean of St. Paul’s The service, which included Bible readings, prayers and mass hymns to honor the Queen’s 70 years on the British throne.
St. Paul’s marked the occasion by ringing its bell Bell – the largest in the United Kingdom, weighing more than 16 tons. Friday’s event was the first royal occasion on which it ended since its restoration in 2021.
Following the service, the Lord Mayor of London, Vincent Keweeney, will host a reception for the Royal Family and their guests at the Guildhall, where the local government headquarters are located. Keweeney heads London’s financial district, known as the Square Mile.
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