AFP, Posted on Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 07:13
Parades, picnics, concerts and the royal family on the balconies across the country: The United Kingdom next week celebrates the 70-year reign of Elizabeth II, a historic record of celebrating the monarchy’s transition period.
Tested by the divisions of Brexit, exhausted by the pandemic and its confinement and now strangled by rising prices, the British will be able to take advantage of a long weekend from Thursday, June 2.
If the 96-year-old queen’s recent health and mobility problems have led to fears that she is in withdrawal, in recent days the sovereign has decided to inaugurate a subway line bearing her name, attend an equestrian show or browse. Made many amazing appearances for The aisle of a major gardening event with the driver in the golf cart.
But in a sign of ongoing transition, his son Prince Charles, heir to the crown, took his place for an annual speech marking the start of the parliamentary year. He is already responsible for representing it overseas for many years.
Before lawmakers on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will pay tribute to the head of state, “The Rock”, whom the British have been “anchoring” for seven decades, a “remarkable woman” who “dedicated her life to her people”. For the idea of the Commonwealth and “what a constitutional monarchy can and should be”, according to excerpts from his speech.
Elizabeth II ascended the throne at the age of 25 on 6 February 1952, when her father, King George VI, died of lung cancer at the age of 56.
Doyon of living sovereigns, she recently rose to third place in terms of longevity among monarchs of sovereign states, surpassing King Louis XIV of France, who died in 1715, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) of Thailand. , who died in 2016.
– Huge picnic –
In London, from Oxford Street to the Mall, an ocher McAdam avenue leading to Buckingham Palace, the flag is proudly displayed, indicating the scale of the celebration.
They will begin Thursday with Trooping the Colour, marking the Queen’s official birthday, featuring more than 1,500 soldiers and musicians, 240 horses and an overview of the Royal Air Force.
The traditional balcony appearance would be limited to working members of the royal family. Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, although they came from exile in California, were excluded, as well as Prince Andrew, who had to pay millions of pounds to avoid trial in the United States for sexual assault.
Also the event will include a religious ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday and a horse race and a large party at Buckingham Palace on Saturday.
In total, more than 200,000 events have been planned, and organizers expect 10 million people to attend the jubilee picnic on Sunday, June 5.
On this day, a large parade will pay tribute to the monarch and the diversity of the British people. It will bring together 10,000 soldiers, artists and volunteers. According to the organisers, the show should be viewed by a billion people, counting all forms of worldwide distribution.
– “Too British, too cynical” –
The scale is monumental,” the parade’s conductor Adrian Evans recently told AFP, promising a “very, very British, very singular” show.
Among the various images in the parade, more personal tributes will be paid to the Queen, notably featuring corgis and horses, animals to which the sovereign is particularly associated.
On this occasion, pubs will be able to open till 1 am, which is two hours more than normal. Beer will flow: The British Beer and Pub Association estimates 90 million pints of beer will be sold for Jubilee, and the region will benefit from a £105 million (€124 million) increase.
According to a study published by the British Future think tank, two-thirds of the population is interested in Jubilee and the majority believe it represents an opportunity to unite. 58% want to keep the monarchy, while 25% believe the end of Elizabeth II’s reign would be the right time for the United Kingdom to become a republic.
But, underlines the study, low support among young people and ethnic minorities shows the need to modernize the monarchy if it is to remain in the hearts of all Britons.