Parade and street parties to mark the end of the Queen’s Jubilee

Despite rather gloomy weather, tens of thousands of citizens attended lunches with neighbors on Sunday and happily celebrated the historic reign of the 96-year-old monarch, who was rarely present at the four-day celebrations due to ill health.

It remained unclear until the end whether the Queen would at least appear again at the end of the big parade that began in the capital in the afternoon. The pageant with soldiers, dancers, puppeteers and artists was to end in front of Buckingham Palace. The 260-year-old golden state carriage, used for royal weddings and coronations, opened the parade. In it sat the Queen – in the form of a hologram at a younger age. The pageant celebrated the life of the queen in twelve chapters and a musical finale.

The pop star Ed Sheeran was to conclude with his famous ballad “Perfect” in honor of the Queen and her husband Prince Philip, who died last year. A giant dragon, seven double-decker buses and dolls of Corgi dogs, the Queen’s favorites, also paraded the streets.

At Windsor Castle, where the Queen resides, 488 tables had been set up as heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla joined in for lunch on a cricket pitch. The Queen was barely present throughout the celebrations over the past few days. She only made two brief appearances in the grand opening parade on Thursday.

The 96-year-old did not take part in Friday’s church service, her beloved horse races on Saturday or the huge concert in front of her palace. She also did not comment publicly. She left the big stage to her heirs to the throne, 73-year-old Charles, soon to be 40-year-old William and eight-year-old George, thereby confirming her gradual withdrawal, which had already become apparent in recent months.

Many of those who attended the celebrations were aware of the historical dimension of the moment: never before has a British monarch reigned as long as the Queen. Also, given the age of Elizabeth’s successors, the record of 70 years is unlikely to be surpassed in the near future.