LONDON – Prince Charles and his son Prince William honored the past and looked to the future on Saturday by paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at a star-studded concert outside Buckingham Palace celebrating the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
Diana Ross, rock band Queen, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and more performed in front of some 22,000 people gathered on the mall for the outdoor ‘Party at the Palace’, which closed the third day of a four-day holiday weekend. dedicated to the celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The 96-year-old monarch did not attend the concert, but she delighted crowds when she appeared in a surprise video recorded with an animated version of another British national treasure: Paddington Bear.
The Queen revealed she shared Paddington’s love of marmalade sandwiches in a comedy sketch which was shown to open the concert, which culminated in speeches from the monarch’s son and grandson.
Charles opened his brief speech by addressing the Queen as ‘Your Majesty, Mama’ and then paid tribute to her ‘life of selfless service’.
The Queen’s eldest son and heir apparent recalled the ever-growing list of world leaders Elizabeth met and the endless piles of state documents she reviewed during a reign that now stretches from the earliest cold war days in the information age. But he also highlighted his mother’s role as a symbol of stability, uniting the UK and the Commonwealth as they negotiated in this rapidly changing world.
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“You have met us and spoken with us. You have laughed and cried with us and, more importantly, you have been there for us, for these 70 years,” Charles said as scenes from the Queen’s life were projected on the palace walls. “You have made a lifelong commitment to service – you continue to deliver. That’s why we’re here. That’s what we’re celebrating tonight.”
William preceded his father with remarks that highlighted the Queen’s long-standing commitment to the environment as he stressed the need to tackle climate change.
Recalling the Queen’s 1989 Christmas message, in which she called on all nations to work together to protect the Earth for “our children and our children’s children”, William said: “I sincerely hope that the words of my grandmother will be as true in 70 years as they are tonight, that as nations we come together for a common cause, because then there is always room for hope.”
The Queen has not attended any of the festivities since Thursday due to what the palace describes as “episodic mobility issues”. But his absence from the concert did not dampen the festive mood among the crowd.
“It’s a magical experience… (It) will never happen again in our lifetimes, and it’s absolutely amazing to be a part of it,” said Sam Ahcquoim, from Cornwall in south-west England. ‘England. “I got really, really excited and just can’t wait to get in there now and start dancing.”
The Sovereign also opted out of attending the Epsom Derby on Saturday. Instead, she was represented at the prestigious annual horse race by her daughter, Princess Anne, who appeared in the royal box with her family to cheers from the crowd.
The Queen is widely known as a horse enthusiast and she has only missed the Epsom Derby a handful of times. On Saturday, five of her former racehorses paraded and 40 jockeys who rode for the Queen formed a guard of honor before the national anthem was played.
“She’s been breeding horses for over 60 years. She knows all the bloodlines and she’s won a lot of races and she’s very competent,” Frankie Dettori, who lined up part of the course with other jockeys, told the BBC.
“I’m sure today she will find a TV and watch it live because she loves the Derby so much,” he added.
It was the second time in as many days that the Queen’s mobility issues prevented crowds from seeing her.
Friday, the the Queen skipped a special Thanksgiving service in her honor at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Palace officials said she felt “some discomfort” at events the day before.
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were among nearly 50 members of the royal family who gathered to honor the absent head of state. It was the couple’s first public appearance in the UK since stepping back from royal duties and moving to California two years ago.
In another sign of a thaw in relations, royal accounts on Twitter wished Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet a happy first birthday. Lilibet turned one on Saturday. She and her older brother, Archie, have yet to make an appearance on this trip.
“Wishing Lilibet a very happy 1st birthday!” the royal family’s account tweeted.
Meanwhile, other members of the Royal Family traveled to Wales and Northern Ireland as part of celebrations across the UK.
William and his wife Kate brought two of their three children – Prince George, 8, and Princess Charlotte, 7 – to Cardiff Castle in Wales ahead of a separate concert in the castle grounds in honor of the Queen.
The Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward, and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, traveled to Northern Ireland for 1950s-themed festivities.
