The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

I'm sure the whole world knows that Queen Elizabeth, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, has just celebrated her 60th year on the throne.  Her longevity as British monarch is only surpassed by Queen Victoria, who reigned for 64 years, from 1837 to 1901.  The Jubilee was celebrated in a way only the British can do - with loads of pomp and circumstance!

A four-day holiday weekend was formed to celebrate the event, starting with a display of "big" ships moored on the River Thames.  

It seems to me that the British have a love-hate relationship with the Royals - they either love it or they hate it!  Many of those that hate it took the opportunity to leave the country and go on a holiday.   Aside from the areas where the Jubilee activities were taking place, the streets of London were relatively quiet.

The iconic Tower Bridge in the background.

The British love their bunting (string of British flags) and it could be seen strewn all over the city - on their boats

and pretty much everywhere it can be attached.  This is the Dickens Inn, located in St. Katherine's Wharf.

Flats in this modern apartment building located on the river were perfect for viewing the upcoming 

Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.  I'm guessing the owners of these places suddenly had more friends than they ever imagined!

The ones that love it were out in full force to take part in the festivities. We headed down to the River in the late morning in order to stake out our territory.  As you can see, the drizzly, cold day in June wasn't enough to keep the spectators from vying for a good spot.  There were also large screens set up in various venues around the city enabling even the height-challenged on-lookers a good view.

We were perched near the Albert Bridge in Chelsea, somewhat near where the flotilla began.  These fans even had their own "queen" in attendance.

 The flotilla consisted of up to 1,000 boats, assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world.  It was the largest assemblage of boats to ever grace the Thames at one time.

The myriad of vessels ranged from steam boats to tall ships, from cruisers to kayaks and from Dunkirk little ships to Dragon boats.

The boats representing the Commonwealth countries.

A beautiful Royal Barge – The Spirit of Chartwell – decorated in red and gold and featuring The Queen’s cipher and a crown carried The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, along with other members of the Royal Family.  

Kate looked stunning in bright red

and the Queen (age 86) and Prince Phillip (age 91) amazed the crowds by proudly standing at their perch on the Barge for FOUR hours waving at the crowds that lined the banks of the river in the Queen's honor.

More pomp and circumstance to come......