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Platinum Jubilee celebrations scheduled for this Friday included a Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral and a reception hosted by the Mayor of London. Throughout the morning, so early the streets around the religious temple were filled with enthusiastic and curious citizens to see the entire royal family pass by. Or almost. Because although the long-awaited Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared, the Queen was absent, as Buckingham Palace had already warned the night before.
Several guests entered the cathedral throughout the morning, but it was only when the royal family began to arrive that attention focused on the front staircase. At 11:05 a.m. the first big moment, Harry and Meghan arrived for their first public event since leaving the royal family in March 2020. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex didn’t want to miss out on the celebrations marking this milestone in their reign. Isabel II. and had already been in Buckingham on Thursday, when active members of the family escorted the queen to the palace balcony. That afternoon they met Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle to introduce her great-granddaughter Lilibet Diana. The youngest daughter of the Dukes of Sussex will be one year old next Saturday and her first name is the nickname that the Queen has had since she was a child, among family members. The news was given by the journalist friend of the dukes, Omid Scobie to the BBC Breakfast program.
With all the guests inside the cathedral, the Thanksgiving service began at 11:30 am. There were songs, hymns, sermons and readings, and it was Boris Johnson’s turn to read a passage from the New Testament. Outside the cathedral there was a large military apparatus with various officers and three even felt ill before the ceremony began. One RAF soldier collapsed and two others had to sit down.
There were high expectations about what clothes the duchesses would wear and what messages they could send. Meghan chose sobriety through a look with an ivory coat/dress by Dior Haute Couture, a hat and shoes that shared the exact same color and clean lines. The Duchess wore her hair up, and it was Maison Birks’ diamond earrings to brighten up her look. It was Kate Middleton who caught all her attention and when she arrived at the cathedral, Prince Charles blew her a kiss with her hand, since they did not greet each other directly. The Duchess of Cambridge opted for a yellow dress (it is believed to be one of the queen’s favorite colors and that she wears so much) but in a pastel tone with a criss-cross effect on the torso and a flared midi skirt, created by designer Emilia. Wickstead, which she combined with a hat full of roses of the same color, signed by Philip Treacy. The Duchess followed the royal family tradition of wearing jewelery to pay her respects and wore a pair of pearl and diamond earrings that Bahrain’s leader presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and which Kate had already worn at the funeral. of Prince Philip.
The Duchess of Cambridge arriving at St Paul’s Cathedral. ©Getty Images
There were several royal guests who chose to wear pink, but all in different shades, creating a rich palette for the viewer. It is said that Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, was the most daring in a hot pink dress that combined a violet headdress, shoes and a lilac bag. Husband Mike Tindall wore a tie to match his wife’s dress. Sophie Winkleman (married to Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince Michael of Kent) also opted for a hot pink shade and the dress she wore was the exact same model as Princess Beatrice’s dress. The choice of different colors almost made the coincidence go unnoticed and saved them both from a wardrobe crisis.
The dress of Lady Gabriella Windsor, daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, also enters this gallery of shades, although the color in question may raise some questions. Another very elegant royal guest at this ceremony was the Countess of Wessex. Sophie followed the pink trend but opted for a sparkly Suzannah dress with short ruffled sleeves and a flower headpiece. As in the Trooping the Color ceremony, mother and daughter matched and Lady Louise wore a white Ghost dress with a pink headband. Both arrived at the cathedral with Prince Edward and James, Viscount Severn.
Far from the pink trend were the York sisters. Princess Beatrice wore a blue Beulah gown and Juliette Millinery headpiece, while Princess Eugenie opted for a vibrant orange Emilia Wickstead gown with black accessories (headpiece, shoes and clutch). Prince Andrew’s daughters were accompanied by their husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank. The sisters shared very feminine looks, with dresses fitted at the waist and wide midi skirts.
Prince Carlos and Camila were the last to arrive at the cathedral, since the heir represented the Queen in this ceremony. The Duchess of Cornwall shone again and, betting on her formula for success, she chose a light gray Fiona Clare dress with gold embroidery that she combined with a Philip Treacy hat.
The ceremony was also attended by the queen’s cousins, the Dukes of Kent and the Dukes of Gloucester, who had already been present at the Trooping the Color parade, as well as Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, among many other members of the royalty. family. , like the two children of Princess Margaret and her families.
Parade, crowd and family. The Queen’s Jubilee Day I looks to the future with “confidence and enthusiasm”
In addition to Boris Johnson, accompanied by his wife, Carrie Johnson, there was a veritable parade of high-ranking figures from British politics in recent years. Theresa May, former Prime Minister, Priti Patel, current Home Secretary, two former Labor Prime Ministers: Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, with their wives, and the current leader of the party, Keir Starmer. Former Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha Cameron, were also present.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London was another political figure at this ceremony. He then gave a reception at the Guildhall, a medieval building where the capital city council hosts some of its prestigious events. Here, members of the royal family, politicians and guests shared a cocktail with canapés of Norfolk smoked duck, dill smoked salmon, beet biscuits and cocktail sausages, there was also a buffet that included “coronation chicken” (which is translates as coronation chicken) with grape salad and rice, according to the Telegraph. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not attend this reception, as planned.
This Friday there were only official Platinum Jubilee events in the morning, the festivities continue on Saturday and Sunday. This afternoon, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen will not attend the Epson Derby horse race, scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Starting at 8pm on the third day of the Platinum Jubilee, the BBC Platinum Party takes place, a star-studded concert with a stage opposite Buckingham Palace.
Source: Observadora
