HRH Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubiliee celebrations

Sunday, 3 June 2012

I'm sitting here watching the Queen's Flotilla of 1,000 boats on the Thames in England celebrating her 60-year reign. Once again, I'm so awed  by the fact that I am witnessing history. The Queen is 86 years old and does not show any signs of retiring so that Prince Charles can ascend to the throne.

Queen Victoria statue on Parliament Hill

Canada has a very special relationship with the throne and royalty. Every visit is cause for a major celebration and we have followed their lives closely...sometime too closely. Few of us in the 65+ age group did not have, or had a relative who had, a scrapbook filled with clipped newpaper photos of the Queen's life. I can close my eyes and still see those photos of the Queen and Prince Phillip sitting in the garden by the castle, with their young family. Somehow, we felt so close to them and tried to imagine their daily lives with children.

I think I have watched every televised royal wedding....Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Charles & Dianna, and William & Kate. I'll never, ever forget the funeral of Dianna and I remember getting up very early in the morning and being glued to the television, kleenex in hand, as I cried through entire funeral procession. I was in Halifax helping Kim with the kids (she'd broken both wrists falling from her horse) when Will & Kate got married. Ty and Tori were very impressed when I got them out of bed wearing my tiara and big, fake Dianna ring.

Part of the joy of this celebration is watching people celebrating something that is hard to believe in, in this day and age. The English really love this pagentry, and clearly so do I as I want to see what Kate is wearing and how Camilla looks and if Prince Harry has anyone with him (he doesn't). Young people have camped on bridges to get just a brief view of the Queen and enjoy the celebrations...the largest in 350 years.

The Tower of London bridge is just raising it's gates in a welcoming salute to the Spirit of Chartwell, the Queen's beautiful barge. Unfortunately, the rain has started but that is part of being in England. The fanfare trumpeters are welcoming the Queen as it passes through...all very regal and royal.