Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee: Why this weekend's festivities matter to the UK
Britain is gearing up for a long weekend of pageantry, processions, parties and prayers to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
The occasion marks 70 years on the throne for the monarch. But behind the official and unofficial celebrations lies a drive to show that the royal family still remains relevant after seven decades of change.
“The monarchy is not elected, so the only way in which a monarch can demonstrate consent is not through the ballot box, but through people turning out on the streets,” said Robert Lacey, historical adviser for the hit Netflix TV series “The Crown″. “If the monarch turns up on the balcony and waves and there’s no one there, that’s a pretty definitive judgment on the monarchy.
"Well, when it comes to Elizabeth, the opposite has been the case. People can’t wait to mass and cheer together."
The royals, sometimes criticized as out of touch with modern Britain, want to show that their support comes from all parts of a society that has become more multicultural due to immigration from the Caribbean, South Asia and more recently Eastern Europe.
As part of the jubilee pageant, dancers from London's African-Caribbean community will don costumes of giant flamingos, zebras and giraffes to re-imagine the moment in 1952 when Princess Elizabeth learned she had become queen while visiting a game park in Kenya.
Another group will recall the Queen’s 1947 marriage to Prince Philip and celebrate weddings as they take place across the Commonwealth with Bollywood-style dancing.
The jubilee is also an opportunity for the royals to demonstrate their outward commitment to change and diversity, something the Queen has tried to embody as she travelled the world over the last 70 years.
Emily Nash, royal editor
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