After so much hype, it's hard to believe that the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebration is over — but boy, did it leave Elizabeth (and us) with so many happy memories! This year marks 70 years of Elizabeth's reign in the UK, and while Buckingham Palace has been all about marking the occasion all year long, the first weekend of June is when the major events took place, and her whole family (along with what looks like most of the population of the UK) came out to celebrate with her.
From concerts to flyovers and everything in between, we got to witness what amounted to a giant, four-day party in London. And while the 96-year-old monarch wasn't up to attending every event, she did make a few truly unforgettable appearances that were enough to bring tears to our eyes as we thought about what this historic milestone must mean for her.
Here are the best moments from Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration. (Spoiler alert: A few of them involve her spunky great-grandchildren!)
The Queen's Appearance at Trooping the Colour
Trooping the Colour is an annual tradition in honor of the Queen's birthday, but this year it held extra meaning. Queen Elizabeth was able to attend, along with many members of her family, and she looked especially happy that day. Seeing her all smiles at the start of the celebration was really something special.
Seeing the Royals on the Balcony
Another special part of Trooping the Colour was seeing the Queen with her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Again, this is something that used to happen all the time, but it's become rare with Elizabeth's health concerns and the lockdown protocols. Seeing her standing there with Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and the Cambridge kids made us a little emotional.
Prince Louis Becomes a Meme
Prince Louis was in rare form at many times during the Jubilee weekend (more on that later), but the first glimpse we got of this 4-year-old's big personality was during Trooping the Colour. He made quite a few different expressive faces while he was standing out there with his great-grandmother, and many of them seemed to indicate that he would have rather been anywhere else!
The Beacon Lighting
After Trooping the Colour, Elizabeth was responsible for a big piece of the weekend ahead: lighting the "tree of trees" that would serve as a beacon for the Jubilee. "This evening, over 3,000 beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to celebrate the Queen's 70 years of service," the royal family shared on Instagram.
Meghan & Harry's Appearance
We knew that retired royals Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were planning to come to the UK for the celebration, but seeing them attend an event was something else. They showed up at the Service of Thanksgiving in honor of the Queen, though they didn't end up sitting with William and Kate once they made their way into the church.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Baking Cupcakes
On Saturday, the Duchess of Cambridge shared a video that included photos of her baking cupcakes with her three kids, showing off a rare peek into her home life with Charlotte, George, and Louis. "Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today!" she wrote.
Elizabeth's Moment With Paddington Bear
In a video that played at the start of the Party at the Palace concert (which the Queen wasn't able to attend), Elizabeth made an appearance via video in an absolutely adorable (and quintessentially British) sketch that she filmed with Paddington Bear. They were chatting over tea, and the Queen joked that she keeps a marmalade sandwich in her purse in case she needs a snack. Too good!
Prince Charles' Speech
During Saturday's events, Prince Charles made a heartfelt speech about his mother, calling her "mummy" in his address.
"You have met us and talked with us. You laugh and cry with us and, most importantly, you have been there for us for these 70 years," he said. "You pledged to serve your whole life, you continue to deliver. That is why we're here, that is what we celebrate tonight."
All the Great-Grandchildren Togetherness
Though we don't know how much facetime Archie and Lili had with their royal cousins behind the scenes, in front of the cameras, we got to see most of the Queen's great-grandchildren together — usually engaged in a bit of mischief. This resulted in more adorable photos than we could count!
The Elizabeth Hologram
Though she wasn't in attendance at every event, Elizabeth's presence was felt — and even included virtually, thanks to technology. During the pageant on Sunday, a hologram of a young Elizabeth on her coronation day in 1953 appeared in a carriage, waving to onlookers.
Charlotte's Conducting Skills
During a visit to Cardiff Castle, Charlotte conducted an orchestra alongside the rest of her family, and judging by her expressions in this video, she really seemed to love every second of it. Maybe they have a future musician in the family?
George & William Singing 'Sweet Caroline'
Is it safe to say that everyone on Earth knows the words to Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline?" During the Party at the Palace, George and William were filmed singing along to the song, waving the Union Jack, during Rod Stewart's performance. What a cute father-son moment!
Louis' Wild Behavior
During the Jubilee pageant, a video of Louis went viral, and watching it back, it's easy to see why. He was definitely giving mom Kate a hard time, but then again, he is a cheeky 4-year-old who was expected to sit still during what had to be a long and stuffy event for him.
The Drones
During the finale of the celebration, we got to see drones forming some seriously impressive images in the sky. Along with this thank you message, they also formed a corgi, the Queen's silhouette, a horse — the list goes on and on. So cool!
Elizabeth's Send-Off
At the end of the weekend, Queen Elizabeth made an unexpected appearance on the balcony, and it ended up being quite an emotional moment — is that a tear we see?! We got to see Elizabeth really soaking it all in and looking truly thankful for the tremendous show of love and support. This must have meant everything to her, and it's good to know she was able to make another appearance to feel all that love.
