The first day of celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II ended Thursday evening, at nightfall, with the illumination of thousands of light signals throughout the United Kingdom and in the countries of the Commonwealth.
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After being cheered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London by tens of thousands of people, the 96-year-old monarch ended the day by launching, from Windsor Castle, the “Beacon Lighting”, a British tradition which consists of lighting luminous signals in honor of the sovereign.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. (8:30 p.m. GMT), in a meticulous ceremony, she touched a small globe representing the Commonwealth countries with her gloved hand, which instantly lit, at Buckingham Palace 40 kilometers away, a huge sculpture representing a tree 21 meters high.
More than 3,000 candles, torches or other bonfires are also to be lit across the country, including at the top of the four highest peaks of the UK’s four nations, as well as in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the British Overseas Territories.
Lights must also illuminate the 54 capitals of the Commonwealth on the five continents. Nine bridges spanning the River Thames in London will be illuminated, as will the iconic BT Tower in the capital, as well as several cathedrals in England.
The main light attraction of the night, the sculpture entitled “Tree of Trees” in front of Buckingham Palace lit up in front of Prince William, the Queen’s grandson and second in line of succession.
Made up of 350 trees that have grown in the UK, the sculpture is meant to serve as a reminder that trees are the “superheroes” of cities, according to its architect Thomas Heatherwick.
The ultra-popular sovereign thus concludes the first of four days of celebrations for her platinum jubilee. Earlier on Thursday, she appeared on the Buckingham Balcony twice, first for the passing of the annual ‘Hail to the Colours’ military parade and then for the Royal Air Force flypast, where she was cheered on by a crowd dense.
But downside, the palace announced Thursday evening that the queen, who has suffered for months from health concerns, would miss the thanksgiving service celebrated at Saint Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, after feeling “a certain discomfort” on the first day of the festivities.
