She might not use this exact term, but Queen Elizabeth II is about to get a ginormous victory lap — a huzzah of applause, featuring a miles-long horse parade, 3,200 bonfires and a serenade at Buckingham Palace by Sir Rod Stewart for her Platinum Jubilee.
But now that the week is here, the occasion offers a chance to look back and take stock and celebrate — without yet having to mourn.“I think there’s a realization that this is the last major event and it’s a way to say thank you,” said Ian Middleton, 58, an airline pilot whose jubilee festivities included a visit with his dog to a pop-up ““I think that continuity is the important part [of the queen’s reign] and Britain will be a different place when she goes,” Middleton said.
On Friday, the royals will attend a church service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, home to the country’s largest church bell, which will ring out across the land. On Sunday, a pageant procession will weave through central London, featuring acts including Ed Sheeran, who will play his ballad “Perfect” as a tribute to Prince Philip and the queen.