The Queen has said she is “humbled and deeply touched” by the platinum jubilee celebrations in a statement marking the conclusion of the long weekend.
The monarch made a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the royal standard was raised above the residence on Sunday.
The Queen’s appearance was unexpected after she did not attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathdral on Friday and the Epsom Derby on Saturday after experiencing “discomfort” following Thursday’s Trooping the Colour ceremony.
On Sunday, horses led the the Queen’s Gold State Coach down The Mall as the Platinum Jubilee Pageant began.
A hologram of a young Queen during her 1953 coronation was projected onto the State Coach.
More than 10,000 performers took part in four different acts, each of which helped tell the story of the Queen’s historic 70-year reign.
Those taking part included people from the military, volunteers, theatre performers, key workers and 2,500 members of the general public.
The pageant also featured 150 “national treasures”, including celebrities such as Sir Cliff Richard, Heston Blumenthal, Rosie Jones, Alan Titchmarsh, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, and Gary Lineker.
Crowds were treated to a special performance by Ed Sheeran, who sang his hit single, ‘Perfect’.
The pageant coincided with the Big Jubilee Lunch, with thousands of street parties taking place across the UK on Sunday.
Ten million people joined in on local events, BBQs and other community festivites to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
On Saturday, Prince Charles paid a moving, personal tribute to the Queen at the Platinum Party at the Palace and thanked her for being there for the nation in good times and bad for 70 years.
The future king was joined by his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and addressed the Queen, who remains head of state at the age of 96 despite her mobility problems, saying: “You pledged to serve your whole life – you continue to deliver.”
