Queen thanks the nation after Diamond Jubilee
THE Queen waved to a cheering crowd from the balcony of Buckingham Palace yesterday, at the climax of four days of spectacular Diamond Jubilee festivities. An estimated 1.5m people turned The Mall into a sea of Union Jack flags to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years as monarch. Flanked by Prince Charles and other members of the Royal Family, the 86-year-old beamed as the patriotic throng roared its approval. The Queen said the anniversary – including the biggest flotilla on the River Thames for more than three centuries, a star-studded concert and a horse-drawn procession – had been “a humbling experience”. “Thank you all,” she said.