THE QUEEN LOOKED EXQUISITE ONCE AGAIN AT HER 90TH BIRTHDAY STREET PARTY CELEBRATIONS ON THE MALL, WEARING A STUNNING FUCHSIA PINK COAT, BY KARL LUDWIG, AND A MATCHING HAT BY ANGELA KELLY.
NOTHING, BUT NOTHING WAS GOING TO RAIN ON THE PARADE OF THE 10,000 PEOPLE ATTENDING THE QUEEN’S 90th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS AT HER PICNIC ON THE MALL.
PEOPLE GOT UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN AND TRAVELLED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY (AND IN SOME CASES HAD TRAVELLED FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD) TO COME TO LONDON TO CELEBRATE WITH THE QUEEN.
NOT ONE WORD OF DISCOURAGEMENT COULD BE HEARD FROM ANY OF THE 10,000 ATTENDEES ON THE MALL, (AND THOUSANDS MORE SITTING LOCALLY JUST OUTSIDE THE MALL IN THE PARK, ON DECKCHAIRS) ABOUT THE DAMP CONDITIONS. EVERYONE WAS LAUGHIING, HAPPY AND EXCITED JUST TO BE THERE.
LOVELY HAMPERS WERE GIVEN OUT TO THE ATTENDEES ON THE MALL , WHICH INCLUDED PORK PIES, PIMM’S, AND SANDWICHES WITH INGREDIENTS FROM ALL CORNERS OF BRITAIN.
(PLUS THE HAMPERS ALSO CONTAINED HANDY WEATHERPROOF PONCHO’S INSIDE – A NEW FASHION STAPLE FOR NEXT SEASON PERHAPS?
THEY ACTUALLY LOOKED RATHER GOOD! HMMMM, STYLE & VERSATILTY!! I CAN PREDICT SOME SAVVY FASHION DESIGNER PRODUCING A MAXI LENGTH VERSION FOR NEXT SEASON – AND IF THEY DON’T – I WILL…!)
THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, INCLUDING THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE
& PRINCE HARRY CONDUCTED A WALK-ABOUT TO AN EXCITED CROWD
(PRINCE HARRY WITH A PARTY REVELLER)
THE DUKE OF YORK WITH PRINCESSES BEATRICE & EUGENIE
AND THEN THE QUEEN & THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH TRAVELLED DOWN THE MALL IN AN OPEN-TOPPED RANGE ROVER (AKA “THE QUEENMOBILE”.) THE QUEEN LOOKED WONDERFUL ONCE AGAIN IN A BRIGHT FUCHSIA PINK COAT BY KARL LUDWIG, AND HAT BY ANGELA KELLY
THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE MADE A TOUCHING SPEECH TO THE QUEEN DURING WHICH HE SAID ” I HOPE YOU DON’T MIND IF I SAY A PERSONAL THANK YOU TO THE QUEEN. I DO SO FROM ALL OF HER GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. GRANNY, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR YOUR FAMILY, WE COULD NOT WISH YOU A HAPPIER BIRTHDAY.”
HE THEN WENT ON TO SAY THANKS “FOR THE QUEEN’S STRONG HEALTH AND RELENTLESS ENERGY; HER SHARP WIT AND FAMOUS SENSE OF HUMOUR; AND THE FACT THAT THE QUEEN REMAINS VERY MUCH AT THE HELM OF OUR FAMILY, OUR NATION AND THE COMMONWEALTH.”
THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH LOOKED PROUDLY ON WHILST PRINCE WILLIAM WAS MAKING HIS SPEECH
AND THEN THE QUEEN, AS PART OF HER SPEECH, SAID “I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT WHICH YOU CONTINUE TO GIVE TO ME. I HOPE THESE HAPPY CELEBRATIONS WILL REMIND US OF THE MANY BENEFITS THAT CAN FLOW WHEN PEOPLE COME TOGETHER FOR A COMMON PURPOSE AS FAMILIES, FRIENDS OR NEIGHBOURS.”
THEN SHE ENDED THE SPEECH WITH A JOKE BY SAYING “HOW I WILL FEEL IF PEOPLE ARE STILL SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN DECEMBER REMAINS TO BE SEEN…!”
THE QUEEN’S 90th BIRTHDAY WAS MARKED BY A SPECTACULAR TROOPING OF THE COLOUR
EVERY YEAR SINCE 1748, THE TROOPING OF THE COLOUR HAS MARKED THE OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY OF THE BRITISH MONARCH.
HOWEVER, SINCE THE 17TH CENTURY (ALTHOUGH THE ROOTS GO BACK MUCH FURTHER), ON BATTLEFIELDS, A REGIMENT’S COLOURS WERE USED AS RALLYING POINTS, ABOVE THE SMOKE, SO THAT SOLDIERS COULD RECOGNISE THEIR REGIMENT’S COLOURS.
THE TROOPING OF THE COLOUR (ALSO KNOWN AS THE QUEEN’S OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY) IS ALWAYS HELD IN LONDON ON A SATURDAY IN JUNE ON HORSE GUARDS PARADE BY ST JAMES’S PARK. IT COINCIDES WITH THE PUBLICATION OF THE BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST. (ALTHOUGH THE QUEEN’S ACTUAL BIRTHDAY IS APRIL 21ST, THIS IS A TRADITION WHICH GOES BACK 250 YEARS, TO WHEN KING GEORGE II WAS THE FIRST TO MARK AN OFFICIAL BIRTHDAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, TO TRY TO ENSURE BETTER WEATHER FOR THE MONARCH’S OFFICIAL CELEBRATIONS.)
YESTERDAY, THE QUEEN LOOKED STUNNING IN A VIBRANT GREEN COAT & DRESS BY STEWART PARVIN. SHE TRAVELLED DOWN THE MALL FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE IN A VINTAGE CARRIAGE, WITH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH BY HER SIDE. THE DUKE WAS WEARING HIS BEARSKIN CAP AND UNIFORM OF THE COLONEL GRENADIER GUARDS. (THE QUEEN USED TO ATTEND ON HORSEBACK HERSELF, BUT HAS TRAVELLED BY CARRIAGE IN RECENT YEARS.)
CARRIAGES ALSO CARRIED OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY WHO WERE ATTENDING THE EVENT, INCLUDING THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE, THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL, PRINCE HARRY, THE DUKE OF YORK, AND PRINCESSES BEATRICE AND EUGENIE.
ALSO, THIS TIME, LADY LOUISE WINDSOR AND HER BROTHER JAMES, VISCOUNT SEVERN, TOOK PART IN THE PARADE TOGTHER FOR THE FIRST TIME, RIDING IN THE BALMORAL LANDAU CARRIAGE WITH THEIR PARENTS PRINCE EDWARD AND HIS WIFE SOPHIE WESSEX.
THE PRINCE OF WALES, (COLONEL OF THE WELSH GUARDS) PRINCESS ROYAL, (COLONEL OF THE BLUES AND ROYALS), & THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE (COLONEL OF THE IRISH GUARDS), ALL TRAVELLED ON HORSEBACK.
ONCE THE QUEEN ARRIVED AT HORSE GUARD’S PARADE, SHE WAS GREETED BY A ROYAL SALUTE AND CARRIED OUT AN INSPECTION OF THE TROOPS, (THE COLDSTREAM, GRENADIER AND SCOTS GUARDS) WHO ARE FULLY TRAINED AND OPERATIONAL SOLDIERS WEARING THE CEREMONIAL UNIFORM OF RED TUNICS AND BEARSKIN HATS. (THE IRISH GUARDS HAD LINED THE QUEEN’S PROCESSIONAL ROUTE FROM BUCKINGHAM PALACE).
OVER 1400 PARADING SOLDIERS IN TOTAL AND 300 HORSES WERE INVOLVED IN THE PARADE TODAY, AND THOUSANDS OF HAPPY PEOPLE CHEERED AND WAVED FLAGS.
THE COLOUR BEING PARADED THIS YEAR WAS THE FLAG OF NUMBER 7 COMPANY COLDSTREAM GUARDS, (WHO HAVE CONDUCTED ACTIVE SERVICE IN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN).
ALL OF THE PARADES TODAY WERE SPECTACULAR AND PERFORMED WITH THE UTMOST PRECISION.
(A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY WORKING TOGETHER IN TEAMWORK AND COLLABORATION.)
THE MASSED BANDS OF THE HOUSEHOLD DIVISION AND THE MOUNTED BAND OF THE HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY ALSO TOOK PART,
AS WELL AS THE KING’S TROOP ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY, WHO LATER FIRED A 41-GUN SALUTE IN GREEN PARK.
ONCE THE SOLDIERS HAD PERFORMED THEIR FLAWLESS AND SPECTACULAR MARCH PAST THE QUEEN, SHE TRAVELLED BACK TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE WITH THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AT HER SIDE (STILL IN HIS BEARSKIN HAT).
THE QUEEN WAS THEN JOINED BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, ON THE BALCONY OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE FOR A FLY-PAST BY THE ROYAL AIR FORCE,
WHICH TODAY INCLUDED ROYAL BABIES PRINCESS CHARLOTTE AND PRINCE GEORGE, TO THE DELIGHT OF THE CROWD…!
LATER IN THE AFTERNOON, THE ROYAL BARGE GLORIANA LED A FLOTILLA OF AROUND 50 BOATS IN A STUNNING PAGEANT DOWN THE RIVER THAMES.
ON FRIDAY A NATIONAL SERVICE OF THANKSGIVING WAS HELD AT ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE QUEEN’S “DUTIFUL COMMITMENT, LOVING LEADERSHIP, GENTLE CONSTANCY, AND KINDLY HUMANITY.”