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Fete Fit For A Queen: Diamond Jubilee Draws To A Close

Queen Elizabeth II, as she rode toward Buckingham Palace earlier today. The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) rode beside her. Also in the carriage: the Prince of Wales (Charles).
Sean Gallup
/
Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II, as she rode toward Buckingham Palace earlier today. The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla) rode beside her. Also in the carriage: the Prince of Wales (Charles).

Four days of celebrating Queen Elizabeth II's 60th year on the throne are coming to an end as the U.K. wraps up the Diamond Jubilee festivities in London.

There's a huge crowd outside Buckingham Palace this hour. People lined up for hours for a chance to see the queen as she rode by in a carriage following this morning's service at St. Paul's Cathedral, and to see her appear on the palace's balcony. She came out on the balcony just before 10:30 a.m. ET, with most of her family (Prince Philip was taken ill Monday, as we reported).

There was also one of those impressive flybys of Royal Air Force aircraft from World War II, and some more modern fighters.

Later, around 1 p.m. ET, a video of the queen's message to her people is due to be broadcast and posted on the The Royal YouTube channel.

As you would expect, all the doings are being followed closely by the BBC.

Update at 1:25 p.m. ET. Events Have Been A "Humbling Experience," The Queen Says:

The Royal Channel has now posted the queen's message. "It has touched me deeply" to see so many celebrating, she said.

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Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.
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