And she waved: Festive pageant caps queen's Platinum Jubilee
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LONDON (AP) — In a crowning moment for her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II waved at tens of thousands of adoring crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, delighting fans who had hoped to catch a glimpse of her during the final day of festivities marking the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
The 96-year-old monarch has curtailed her schedule in recent months due to difficulties in moving around. Prior to Sunday, the queen had only appeared in public twice — both on Thursday — during the four-day holiday weekend's celebrations. Officials said she experienced “discomfort” during those events.
Huge crowds that lined the Mall outside the palace for the climax of a boisterous, colorful pageant cheered as the monarch emerged on the balcony with Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, and Prince William and his family.
It was an image for the history books and a glimpse into the monarchy's future, with the queen's three heirs — her 73-year-old son Charles, eldest grandson William and eldest great-grandson Prince George — by her side.
The queen, dressed in bright green, waved and smiled after the crowds belted out “God Save The Queen.” Her appearance, which only lasted a few minutes, was followed by a crowd-pleasing performance of ABBA's “Dancing Queen.”
It was an uplifting finale to a massive street pageant celebrating the queen's life and highlighting Britain's diversity. Thousands of people turned out on the streets of London, many speaking with excitement and pride about their queen and country.
On Saturday, the monarch delighted the country when she appeared in a surprise comedy video that opened an evening concert in front of Buckingham Palace. In the video, the monarch had tea with a computer-animated Paddington Bear — a beloved children's character in the U.K. She revealed that, just like the furry bear, she was partial to marmalade sandwiches and liked to keep them in her handbag.
Diana Ross and the rock band Queen headlined the star-studded tribute concert, which also featured Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Andrea Bocelli.
Charles highlighted his mother's role as a symbol of unity and stability through the decades at the concert. Addressing the queen as “Your Majesty, mummy,” Charles said: “You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us for these 70 years.”
Millions of people across the country marked the occasion with patriotic street parties and barbeques, lining streets with long tables, balloons and picnic fare. On Sunday, Charles and Camilla mingled with the crowd at The Oval cricket ground in London for a “Big Jubilee Lunch."
Veteran David Godwin, who was celebrating at a street party in central London, said the queen has “brought us together again.”
“She reflects the country and right now the country is buzzing and we’re on a high,” he said.
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Jo Kearney, Srdjan Nedeljkovic and Maria Grazia Murru contributed to this report.
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