Pealing church bells, artillery salutes and cheering crowds greeted the Queen on Tuesday, the last of four days of Diamond Jubilee celebrations honouring her 60 years on the throne.
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Kylie Minogue, centre, performs at the Queen's Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace, London, Monday, June 4, 2012. The concert is a part of four days of celebrations to mark the 60 year reign of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. The Associated Press video
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Britain's Prince Philip is driven away from Papworth Hospital in southern England in a December 27, 2011 file photo. Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth's 90-year-old husband, was taken to hospital with a bladder infection on June 4, 2012, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Reuters/Files video
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Poignantly, the Queen was without Prince Philip, her husband of 64 years, who was hospitalized on Monday for treatment of a bladder infection.
At a morning service of thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, praised the Queen for bringing happiness to the nation. His thoughts were seconded by jubilant crowds that cheered royals major and minor as they made their way to and from the church.
The Queen returned to Buckingham Palace in the afternoon, braving the first few drops of rain in an open carriage, later to appear on the palace balcony with the present and future of the monarchy: her heir, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla; Prince William, the second-in-line, and his wife, Catherine; and William’s brother, Prince Harry.
There were more cheers as a noisy Lancaster bomber, four Spitfire fighters and a Hurricane fighter – all recalling the nation’s battle for survival in the Second World War – emerged from the leaden skies to fly over the palace. They were followed by nine jets spewing red, white and blue smoke.
As the Irish Guards doffed their bearskin hats to lead three cheers for the Queen, the 86-year-old monarch beamed. In a rare televised statement, she said the Jubilee celebrations had been “a humbling experience.”
Philip’s absence caused some hasty rearrangement of preparations but seemed not to dampen the high spirits. Prince Edward, who made a brief visit to the hospital, reported that his father was getting better and had been watching the celebrations on TV. Asked about the Queen, Edward said “she’s bearing up but she’s missing him, obviously.”
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