The Queen watched on TV from the comfort of her Windsor Castle home as her family rallied round to pay tribute to her extraordinary 70 years of service.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall headed up a congregation of 2,000 community champions alongside the royals at the iconic St Paul’s Cathedral, as the horse loving sovereign was thanked for staying “in the saddle, through times of change and challenge”.
It was the first time in more than two years that the previously dubbed ‘Fab Four’ of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were together since Prince Harry and Meghan sensationally quit their royal roles in favour of moving to the United States.
There was a palpable nervousness in the air as they came face-to-face for the first time since the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020 - just days before the country was plunged into covid lockdown and a few hours prior to Harry and Meghan fleeing the country after sensationally quitting The Firm.
Royal watchers saw zero interaction between the two couples but in stark contrast witnessed the deep bond between Charles, 73 and his daughter-in-law Kate, as the Prince of Wales blew her a kiss as he greeted her and husband William at the doors to the church.
Both royal couples were given loud cheers as they walked up the St Paul’s stairs, while Harry and Meghan received a mixed reception of cheers and boos from the hundreds of royal fans who had gathered outside.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who arrived with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and every living former prime minister including Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major, was also loudly booed on his arrival.
The remaining congregation was filled with members of the public honoured for their service, including the Armed Forces, charity volunteers, teachers, key workers and the NHS, the Archbishop of York led the service of thanksgiving after standing in at short notice for the Archbishop of Canterbury who contracted covid this week.
There was also no appearance at St Paul's by the shamed Prince Andrew, banished from royal duties after being caught up in a sex abuse scandal, after he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week. The Queen watched the service from her private apartment at Windsor Castle, and it was broadcast on BBC One.
Members of the crowd outside St Paul's sang the National Anthem while they waited for the Royal Family to leave at the end, before Charles and Camilla were the first to walk out as the bells began to toll at the end of the service.
After the moving service which included a selection of 15 hymns, prayers and readings, all the royals joined a Jubilee reception at London’s Guildhall a mile away, apart from Harry and Meghan who ditched the gathering.
Harry was seen awkwardly chatting to Princess Margaret’s son, Lord Snowdon, before he and Meghan had a brief exchange with Zara Tindall and left in a waiting car to go back to their Windsor home.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge followed by waving cheerily to the crowds while smiling and chatting to each other.
Senior royals, Government ministers and representatives of the armed forces enjoyed drinks and canapes as they celebrated the “once-in-our-history occasion” of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Lord Mayor Vincent Keaveny made a speech praising the “continuity, stability and unity” the Queen has given the nation, describing the Platinum Jubilee as a “not so much a once-in-a-lifetime event, but a once-in-our-history occasion”.
The Queen will continue to rest tomorrow, choosing to miss the Epsom Derby but will be tuning in from home, Buckingham Palace confirmed.
Her Majesty is said to be "fine" but found the first of four days of celebrations for her Platinum Jubilee "very tiring".
At the Guildhall reception Gill Smallwood, from Bolton spoke with Kate and asked how the Queen was doing.
Ms Smallwood said afterwards: "She (Kate) said 'yes, she was fine, it was just very tiring yesterday, and she (the Queen) had had a lovely, lovely time'."
The Duchess of Cambridge added that her children Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, seven, with three-year-old Prince Louis, who stole the show with a variety of hilarious faces as the stunning flypast roared over Buckingham Palace, also "had a lovely time" at Thursday's celebrations.
The Queen will also miss the Buckingham Palace music concert tomorrow night, which could be set to be a washout after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning of thunderstorms to besiege London acts including Diana Ross and Queen take to the stage.
A royal source said: “Her Majesty is doing everything possible to be rested to attend the finale of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Sunday to say a special thank you to everyone who has not only made it possible, but made it such an incredibly fun occasion for everyone.”
