Queen pulls out of Jubilee thanksgiving service following 'discomfort'
The Queen has pulled out of Friday's Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service.
The monarch will miss the event at St Paul’s Cathedral in London “with great reluctance” after experiencing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s Jubilee celebrations, Buckingham Palace said. The Queen, however, “greatly enjoyed” her birthday parade and flypast in London, the statement added.
It continued: “Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend.”
Although she will not appear at Friday's service, she is still due to attend a beacon lighting event at Windsor Castle on Thursday evening.
The monarch took centre stage at her historic celebrations earlier, greeting crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony, surrounded by her family.
Huge cheers erupted from thousands of well-wishers packed on to The Mall in central London as the monarch emerged for the flypast after Trooping the Colour.
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Wearing sunglasses, the 96-year-old sovereign looked joyful as she surveyed the patriotic scenes, giving broad smiles as she enjoyed the aircraft display. It was the second of two appearances from the monarch on the balcony on Thursday – the start of an extended Jubilee weekend marking her 70-year-reign. Earlier, she joined her cousin the Duke of Kent on the famous frontage to take a salute of her soldiers returning from Trooping the Colour, after the Prince of Wales deputised for her on the parade ground. Eighteen royals including the Queen stepped out to watch the high-profile flypast, with the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis flanking the monarch.
The Queen leaned over to chat animatedly with four-year-old great-grandson Louis, who at one stage covered his ears, and reacted with his mouth wide open and eyes tightly shut as the aircraft thundered overhead. He was also spotted resting his chin on his hand and waving towards the sky. The six-minute flypast of more than 70 aircraft, including Apache helicopters, Typhoons and the Red Arrows, flew over the palace. Fifteen RAF Typhoons paid a special tribute to the monarch’s record-breaking reign, flying in the formation of the number 70, prompting smiles from the Queen. Dressed in a dusky dove blue Angela Kelly coat which she wore for her official Jubilee portrait, and matching hat, the Queen was holding a walking stick and wearing the Guards’ Badge on her coat.