The announcement reignites concerns about the deteriorating health of the popular 96-year-old monarch, who has difficulty walking and whose official appearances have become increasingly rare since she spent a night in hospital in October.
On Thursday, dressed in a blue coat and hat, the queen appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace smiling and standing next to her cousin, the Duke of Kent, colonel of the Scots Guards, while 1,500 soldiers, with musical bands and hundreds of horses, marched in the traditional “Parade of the Banner”.
Despite the announcement of her absence from the mass, Isabel also participated at night in the remote lighting of a huge sculpture, in front of Buckingham, which represents a 21-meter-high tree.
At the same time, more than 3,000 light signals were lit across the UK, including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, 40km away. London, where the monarch lives.
The “Banner Parade”, organized annually for 250 years to commemorate the official birthday of the British monarch -but canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic- coincided this year with the start of the four days of celebrations for the seven decades in the throne of Isabel II, crowned with only 25 years.
Hundreds of thousands of people crowded the outskirts of Buckingham, cordoned off with metal barriers and guarded by policemen in their trademark domed helmets.
The 70 years of reign also deserved international congratulations. Pope Francis sent a message wishing the queen, her family and her people “unity, prosperity and peace.”
Witness
Until recently, Isabel II greeted the troops on horseback. But this year, due to her mobility problems, she was replaced by her heir, Prince Charles, who at 73 is taking office in a progressive transition that raises doubts due to his lesser popularity at a time when the monarchy is criticized, mainly in the former colonies, due to the slave-owning past of the British Empire.
On the central esplanade of the “Horse Guards Parade”, near Downing Street, Carlos inspected the troops on behalf of the queen, accompanied by his son Guillermo, 39, and his sister Ana, 71. They were dressed in uniform of full dress and the two men wore the traditional tall black bear hair cap of the royal guard.
Other members of the royal family, including Charles and William’s wives, Camilla and Catherine, aged 74 and 40 respectively, arrived in carriages to witness the pompous parade, which traveled down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.
The event ended with some 70 air force planes, including the Red Arrows aerobatic patrol, flying over the palace and a second appearance by the queen to greet the crowd. She was flanked by leading members of the royal family, including William and Catherine’s three young children, the youngest of whom, 4-year-old Luis, delighted the audience with his funny faces. Cannon volleys resounded in London and throughout the United Kingdom.
Avoiding controversy at an event that seeks to improve the image of the monarchy, Prince Andrew, 62, the queen’s third son away from public life due to accusations of sexual assault against a minor in the United States, did not appear on the balcony. He will also be absent from mass on Friday due to having covid-19.
Nor did Prince Harry, 37, and his wife, former American actress Meghan Markle, go out to greet the monarchy, who caused an earthquake in the monarchy when in 2020 they decided to go live in California, from where they have criticized the royal family. The jubilee celebrations will continue until Sunday with parades, horse races and concerts.
Source: Ambito
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