Queen

Monarch attended event at Windsor Castle after pulling out of Friday's thanksgiving ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral. Queen lights principal jubilee beacon ...

The first beacons to be lit were in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the Central American country of Belize. For the first time beacons were lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals. It is understood that it was always the Queen’s hope to attend rather than a firm commitment.

At the end of the first day of celebrations, the Queen pressed the Commonwealth of Nations Globe which sent a river of light from her Windsor Castle home to ...

This week marks the Duchess of Sussex’s first royal appearance in two years, after she and her husband stepped down from their royal duties in 2020. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. She was also seen holding a walking stick.

Britain celebrates the second day of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee on Friday, with the highlight a service of thanksgiving attended by senior royals ...

The service will include Bible readings, prayers, and hymns to express gratitude for Elizabeth's reign. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Opinion polls show she remains hugely popular and respected among British people. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com She has now been on the throne for longer than any of her predecessors in 1,000 years, and is the third-longest reigning monarch ever of a sovereign state.

The 96-year-old monarch appeared twice on the Buckingham Palace balcony, flanked by other senior royals, as they watched a military parade and waved at ...

You can also get in touch in the following ways: How will you be marking the platinum jubilee? It's at short notice, with the programme for the church service already printed. The event begins at 11:30 BST on Friday, with coverage starting on BBC One from 09:15. It will be Prince Harry and Meghan's first royal event together since leaving the UK two years ago. Do you have alternative plans?

Buckingham Palace said the decision was made for the Queen to not attend after she experienced some discomfort after the parade marking the start of her ...

The Queen met with the president of Switzerland at Windsor Castle in late April, and will hope to be able to attend as many events as possible for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in the first weekend of June. “Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s national Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend.” In May the Queen missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years, and only the third time during her reign. In November she missed the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow, and also pulled out of the Festival of Remembrance, again after being told to rest by doctors. “Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s national Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend. Why is the Queen not attending the Service of Thanksgiving?

Charles to stand in for monarch at celebration this morning due to be attended by Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester are among the first royals to walk the steps of the cathedral. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry have now walked the steps to the cathedral. Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, along with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge have now left the service. Prince William, and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge have now arrived, without their children, however. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles and Camilla are also among hundreds at St Paul’s.

'Substantial booing' for the PM at historic occasion.

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. She will be watching the ceremony on television as she rests at Windsor Castle. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.

Latest updates: monarch misses service after experiencing 'some discomfort' during trooping the colour.

Key workers, charity volunteers and members of the armed forces were invited in recognition of their contribution to public life. It was a service of thanksgiving for an absent Queen, a St Paul’s Cathedral celebration to mark the longest reign of any British monarch. Others in attendance included cabinet ministers, the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, former prime ministers, and first ministers of the devolved governments. “We are immensely grateful for her 70 years of service to the United Kingdom and to the Commonwealth that we are celebrating today,” he said. The couple were greeted by huge cheers from the crowd outside as they walked, hand in hand, up the cathedral’s steps. But members of her family were out in force. There could be no better ambassador for this country and for the Commonwealth. Last year, the national broadcaster also received a record number of complaints from members of the public who felt it went overboard with wall-to-wall coverage of Prince Philip’s death. “I like her a lot – I have deep respect for her as many people do. It is estimated that 39 million adults are celebrating the jubilee, with 4.1 million families planning to attend a street party. Cake-stand sales at Waitrose have also doubled with customers searching its website for Victoria sponge and scone recipes with “afternoon tea”. Marks & Spencer scored a hit with its Queen Connie and Corgi caterpillar cake duo, which sold out in many stores, including on Ocado.

The Queen will miss the St Paul's service but joined a beacon lighting ceremony on Thursday evening.

You can also get in touch in the following ways: How will you be marking the platinum jubilee? It's at short notice, with the programme for the church service already printed. The event begins at 11:30 BST on Friday, with coverage starting on BBC One from 09:15. It will be Prince Harry and Meghan's first royal event together since leaving the UK two years ago. Do you have alternative plans?

Cottrell, who has preached in church in the Queen's presence, told BBC's Radio 4 programme he was confident the Queen “wants to hear about the Christian faith ...

I think that has been a hugely impressive example right at the heart of our national life for 70 years.” Cottrell, who has preached in church in the Queen’s presence, told BBC’s Radio 4 programme he was confident the Queen “wants to hear about the Christian faith, which is what has motivated her and sustained her throughout her life, throughout her reign.” Dame Sarah Mullally, who will be leading the blessing, told the BBC: “I’m excited, I think.” She said the Queen’s Christian faith had “always shaped her” and she felt privileged to “give thanks” to the Queen for her service.

Her Majesty is expected to watch the major sporting event on television at Windsor Castle. There had been speculation the Queen would not appear at the race ...

She watched the service at home in Windsor instead. There had been speculation the Queen would not appear at the horse race due to the ongoing mobility issues she experienced during her two appearances on Thursday. There had been speculation the Queen would not appear at the race due to the ongoing mobility issues she experienced during her two appearances on Thursday.

Service of thanksgiving raised the Genesis question – how many people can you swap out of this lineup, before it ceases to be Genesis?

Ishmael the 11-year-old choirboy said it best – asked by Raworth how he felt, he replied with feeling: “It’s been very stressful.” A huge number of people, bringing great stress upon themselves, then trying with all their valour not to show it – that’s pomp for you. The impossibility of that was outweighed, for the most part, by their sheer niceness – the poet laureate, Simon Armitage; the master of the Queen’s music, Judith Weir; the retired archbishop John Sentamu: all these thoughtful, reflective people, dredging their creative brains for a non-platitude. This reign, the third longest in history, after Louis XIV and the recently departed King of Thailand, has spanned 14 prime ministers, four of whom – Major, Blair, Brown and Cameron – were chatting nicely, or at least they were to one another’s wives, mindful that royal events are when we pretend we all get on (or, to be more precise, in the phrase of a royal biographer beforehand, “the prime minister represents all that divides us; the Queen represents all that unites us”). This mood lasted up to the arrival of Boris and Carrie Johnson, which the crowd greeted with noise, and a lot of it. Is this a peculiar new way for adults to carry on, holding hands like they’ve just sworn bff in the playground? Harry and Meghan were naturally the main event, in terms of royal arrivals, the only ones with any suspense attached, principally: would they look happy? With 400 public servants – teachers, NHS and charity workers – already seated, David Dimbleby and Sophie Raworth did a game call-and-response buildup to which royals we should expect.

The Queen will be watching the service of thanksgiving on TV from Windsor Castle, it has been revealed. The news comes after Buckingham Palace issued a ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice.