For the Queen, the service is the most important aspect of the four days of Platinum Jubilee celebrations
(Picture: PA)The Queen is expected to lead the nation and the royal family in prayer as she marks her 70 years on the throne with a special service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, senior sources have confirmed to the Evening Standard.
Despite recent “mobility issues” the 96-year-old devout Christian, and supreme governor of the Church of England, will “muster all her strength” to attend the service in person, supported by her heir, the Prince of Wales, and all her close family.
All senior royals will be at Friday’s service dedicated to her unstinting service and leadership, including our next Queen Consort, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Charles’s heir, the Duke of Cambridge.
The Duchess of Cambridge will accompany her husband along with their children, Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, seven.
It is understood four-year-old Prince Louis, who didn’t attend the Westminster Abbey service in memory of his great-grandfather Prince Philip in March, could join his family this time.
The Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also set to attend the service.
For the Queen, the service is the most important aspect of the four days of Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
A senior figure told the Standard: “Of course we will have to wait until the day itself. That said, Her Majesty has made it clear to her team that she will muster all her strength to be at that service.”
Officially, the palace is not confirming what events the Queen will attend until the day. However, she is also expected to mark the jubilee with a least one, but more likely two, balcony appearances at Buckingham Palace.
It is also understood that palace officials have been making contingency plans in case the Queen feels up to watching the Jubilee Pageant on Sunday from the royal box.
She is not expected to attend Saturday’s Derby, one of her favourite sporting events of the year, but will watch the race on television at Windsor Castle.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson, writing exclusively in the Standard, said he expected Londoners to “light up” the city and unite to mark “Elizabeth the Great’s outstanding reign and service”.
Big-spending tourists from around the world have already started descending on London to get a ringside seat to this historic event, that will be celebrated up and down the country with tributes to her unprecedented 70 years as Britain’s head of state. Another senior royal household figure told the Standard: “Her Majesty is just keeping her fingers crossed that the British weather behaves and everyone can enjoy themselves without getting soaked.”
The Queen, who has been on a pre-jubilee break resting in Balmoral, was involved in an aircraft drama as she returned to Windsor Castle yesterday.
Her 13-seater plane was caught in an electrical storm, rain and hail which forced the pilot to abandon landing at RAF Northolt on the first attempt. The plane circled over the capital for 15 minutes before landing.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “The Queen’s flight was delayed due to a lightning storm, all the correct procedures were followed and there were no safety concerns.” Among the highlights of the jubilee celebrations are the RAF flypast over Buckingham Palace tomorrow after the Trooping the Colour parade.
At the BBC’s Party at the Palace concert in front of Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, both Prince Charles and Prince William will pay public tributes to the Queen.
This weekend thousands of Big Jubilee Lunches and street parties are being staged nationwide, while organisers estimate some 100,000 people will line the route of the spectacular Pageant on Sunday. Weather forecasters say Friday will have the best weather of the four-day weekend, with temperatures of 21C predicted.
Saturday and Sunday will be slightly cooler, with temperatures of 17C and the possibility of rain showers.
