The Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations concluded on Sunday with a star-studded platinum jubilee pageant and a surprise appearance from the monarch on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The UK enjoyed a long four-day weekend to mark the Queen’s historic 70-year reign, starting with the 96-year-old’s official birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, on Thursday.
This was followed by a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathdral on Friday and a Party at the Palace, hosted by the BBC, on Saturday evening.
The Queen’s appearance on Sunday came as a surprise after the monarch pulled out of Friday’s service and the Epsom Derby after experiencing “discomfort” following Thursday’s Trooping the Colour.
In honour of the festivities, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also returned to the UK with their two children, Archie, three, and Lilibet.
To the delight of fans, the couple were spotted watching Thursday’s Trooping the Colour parade from a window at the Major General’s Office.
On Friday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were met with loud cheers as they joined other members of the royal family for a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Separately, the youngest Cambridge child, Louis, won the hearts of the public as he joined his family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Royal Armed Forces flypast on Thursday.
The four-year-old was photographed pulling several animated faces, covering his ears and screaming into the air.
Louis stole the show once again during Sunday’s pageant, when he was spotted covering the Duchess of Cambridge’s mouth, sitting on the laps of both the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales.
Here are our favourite moments from the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations so far.
Princess Charlotte offers a helping hand to Prince Louis
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, joined the royal procession in the Trooping the Colour parade for the first time this year.
The young royals sat in a carriage with their mother, Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The children delighted crowds as they waved and pulled faces at onlookers. Prince Louis seemed particularly enthusiastic about the event, excitedly waving his hands at spectators and contining even after his siblings stopped.
Noticing Louis’ waves, Princess Charlotte was seen gently moving her younger brother’s hand down. But this was to no avail, as Louis ignored his sister’s instruction and continued waving at people on the Mall.
The act was caught on video and quickly went viral and prompted many reactions from social media users.
One person wrote on Twitter: “Prince Louis deploying some Olympic level waving. Being stopped by Princess Charlotte and then immediately starting again irregardless is now the high point of the whole thing.”
Prince Louis screams on the Buckingham Palace balcony
Prince Louis was the gift that kept on giving on Thursday.
Shortly after joining the procession by carriage, he also appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace alongside the Queen and other members of the royal family.
The four-year-old was said to have “stolen the show” during the highly anticipated event, as he stood next to the Queen to watch the Royal Armed Forces flypast.
While his siblings looked on, Louis pulled several animated faces, covering his ears and screaming into the air.
The Duchess of Cambridge was seen smiling as she struggled to contain her laughter.
Kate Middleton’s subtle tribute to Princess Diana
The Duchess of Cambridge offered a subtle tribute to her late mother-in-law.
Arriving at the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday, Kate wore a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.
The drop earrings are made up of two blue sapphires, each of which is surrounded by a halo of small diamonds.
Diana wore the earrings on several public occasions before her death, including the 1996 Met Gala.
Meghan appears to recycle an old wedding outfit
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday – the lineup was restricted to working members of the royal family – the couple watched the parade and RAF flypast from the Major General’s office.
For the occasion, Meghan opted for a navy blue off-the-shoulder dress and a large white hat with navy bow, designed by British milliner Stephen Jones.
Eagle-eyed fans noted that the dress looked identical to a navy blue design by Roland Mouret, which she wore in the leadup to her wedding to Harry in 2018.
“Is Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex wearing her @RolandMouret Roland Mouret Navy ‘Barwick’ Dress at #TroopingTheColour today?,” one Twitter user wrote, along with a photo of Markle at the parade and a photo of Mouret’s dress.
The Queen’s powder blue outfit
The Queen was all smiles as she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.
The monarch carried out her signature wave wearing a powder blue Angela Kelly design. The coat dress featured a pearl and diamante trim, which she paired with a matching hat.
The Queen also wore a Guards Badge, which was pinned to her left side.
Prince Louis wears sailor outfit similar to that worn by Prince William
Arriving at the Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday, Prince Louis, four, donned a sailor’s suit which looked strikingly similar to one worn by his father in 1985.T
The Duke of Cambridge wore a pale blue sailor’s suit to the Queen’s 59th birthday parade when he was three years old.
Social media users quickly noted the resemblance to William’s earlier outfit, with some posting side-by-side comparisons of the pair.
“Louis, our favourite Boss Baby, is wearing a Prince William original,” one person wrote on Twitter.
Queen receives hand-crafted walking stick from British Army
The British Army has given the monarch a hand-crafted walking stick for her platinum jubilee.
The Queen, who has been experiencing mobility issues over the past year, appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour ceremony carrying a walking stick made by Cumbria-based traditional stick maker Dennis Wall.
The army said the gift was a symbol of its support. The walking stick is made of mottled hazel, locally sourced in Cumbria, the Ministry of Defence said.
The wood is thought of as a protective talisman in English mythology and is traditionally known in Ireland as the “Tree of Knowledge”.
On Thursday, the palace confirmed the Queen would not attend a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday due to mobility concerns.
In a statement, it said the monarch had experienced “discomfort” during Thursday’s festivities.
Princess Charlotte tries her hand at conducting an orchestra
Princess Charlotte and her older brother, Prince George, have made their first official visit to Wales with their parents on Saturday.
The Cambridges - sans Prince Louis - visited Cardiff Castle to meet performers and the crew ahead of the special concert to honour the Queen on the castle grounds.
During their trip, Charlotte had a playful attempt at conducting an orchestra after Prince William and Kate Middleton had goes of their own.
She was seen laughing with delight as she waved her hands and a baton in front of the musicians, prompting social media users to describe the young princess as “sweet”.
A corgi, the queen’s handbag and horses light up Buckingham Palace
The audience at BBC’s Party at the Palace on Saturday evening were treated to a magnificent light display, which saw the sky light up with images of the Queen’s corgis, horses and a teapot.
As night fell around Buckingham Palace and the live performances came to an end, crowds enjoyed a light show which paid tribute to some of the Queen’s hobbies and interests.
The drones took the shape of the Queen’s favourite dog breed, the corgi. The pup was pictured with its tongue out, and a bone next to one of its paws.
Other images created by the drones included the Queen’s signature Launer handbag, the number “70” with a crown in the centre of the “0”, and a union jack flag.
The show also delivered a subtle nod to the Queen’s love of horse riding and her daily afternoon tea.
Social media users praised the display, with some declaring it the highlight of the show.
“There is a giant drone corgi over Buckingham Palace and this is the best country on earth,” one person said.
Prince Louis was up to his old tricks at Sunday’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant
Prince Louis was on hand to provide extra entertainment once again at Sunday’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Dressed in a smart black coat worn and sat next to his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, the young royal delivered plenty of meme-worthy moments as he pulled faces and danced in his seat.
The four-year-old was also spotted covering the Duchess of Cambridge’s mouth, pulling faces at her, and sitting on both the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales.
The interactions were quickly noted by social media users, with one person writing on Twitter: “Prince Louis deserves his own meme section! I can’t with how expressive his face is!!”
Later photographs also captured a sweet moment between Louis and Kate, as he cuddled up to his mother and rested his head on her shoulder.
Princess Eugenie’s son, August, makes royal debut
Princess Eugenie’s one-year-old son made his first public appearance on Sunday, joining his parents at the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
August Brooksbank, who is the only child of Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, was dressed for the occasion in a blue jumper bearing the Union Jack.
During the pageantry he was spotted being held by both parents, and intently watching the performers.
August’s appearance was quickly noted by social media users, with many commenting on his “adorable” outfit and resemblance to Eugenie.
“Wow, he’s definitely part of the Royal Family! He looks so much like his mum,” one person wrote.
Another said: “Little August! He is literally Princess Eugenie’s copy, but with a little hint of Jack. So cute!”
