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Brits start to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne

LONDON – Buckingham Palace, which was undergoing a renovation, was beaming in blue on Wednesday night in London. The national flag of the United Kingdom lined both sides of The Mall.

Donna Werner decorated a hat and wore a Union Jack scarf. She said she was eager to start celebrating The Platinum Jubilee — the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.

“I love the Queen. I just want to show her some respect,” Werner said.

FILE - The Archbishop of Canterbury holds the ritual crown of England, the crown of St. Edward, over the head of Queen Elizabeth II, prior to the actual crowning at the coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey, London, June 2, 1953. (AP Photo/File) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The four days of events start Thursday.

Dozens were already camping out overnight to get a front seat to the military parade known as “Trooping the Colour.”

The full display of pageantry will include over 1400 officers, 200 horses, and more than 400 musicians.

FILE - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, wears a silver gown with a diamond tiara and pearl necklace, in this Aug. 30, 1949 photo. (AP Photo, File) (AP1949)

At 96 years old, the Queen will ride in a carriage. She has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history and has worked with 14 prime ministers.

“I think she is going to go down in history as one of the best,” Werner said.

Many said they traveled far to also witness the fly-past by the Royal Air Force. The Queen will witness it from the palace balcony.

FILE - Britain's King George VI and Queen Elizabeth appear with their daughters Princess Elizabeth, left and Princess Margaret, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, London, June 22, 1939. The princesses often dressed alike until their teens. (AP Photo, File) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The same balcony where she witnessed it during the celebration of her grandfather’s Silver Jubilee. She was 9-year-old Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor then.

As a princess, she also often represented her father, King George VI, at the Trooping the Colour and other state occasions. He died on Feb. 6, 1952, and her coronation was on June 2, 1953.

On Saturday, there will be a free concert outside of the palace. The lineup includes Alicia Keys, Diana Ross, and Duran Duran.

Afternoon report

Complete coverage

Local 10 News Executive Producer Natalie Morera contributed to this report. Torres contributed from Miami.


About the Authors
Nicole Perez headshot

Nicole Perez is the the primary co-anchor of Local 10 News at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. She first joined Local 10 in July 2016 as the morning traffic reporter.

Andrea Torres headshot

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

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