Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1469874
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JUNE 2022 14 EYEWITNESS Platinum Queen SENIOR royals joined more than 400 key workers, volunteers, and armed forces personnel on Friday for a thanksgiving service for the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee. The Prince of Wales, the Cam- bridges and the Sussexes were among attendees at St Paul's Cathe- dral in London. The Queen is said to have followed the service from home at Windsor Castle after experiencing "discom- fort" during Thursday's events. Prince Andrew was forced to with- draw after a positive COVID test. NHS workers, honours recipients, public servants and charity repre- sentatives were among those attend- ing the service - part of four days of events marking the Queen's 70-year reign. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also in attendance with his wife, Car- rie. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and former prime ministers John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May were there too. Johnson gave a reading from St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians in the New Testament, beginning: "Re- joice in the Lord always". The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, gave the sermon, after Jus- tin Welby, the Archbishop of Can- terbury, tested positive for coronavi- rus last week. Cottrell said the Platinum Jubi- lee was a time of "great rejoicing", which took place against a backdrop of "such suffering and uncertainty in our world". But he said the Queen was an ex- ample of leaders who serve the com- mon good with "a staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faith- fulness to God, an obedience to a vo- cation that is the bedrock of her life". Celebrations started on Thursday On Thursday, thousands of people gathered in central London for the traditional Trooping the Colour cer- emony and a flypast of Buckingham Palace. The Queen later illuminated a globe at Windsor Castle, which co- incided with the lighting of thou- sands of beacons across the UK and the Commonwealth. Saturday saw a platinum party at the Palace, with live music by rock band Queen, Diana Ross and many other top acts.. Today • Big Jubilee lunch, 10 million expected to take part in street parties and celebrations • The London pageant, a mili- tary parade, giant puppets and Ed Sheeran The Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales during the remembrance service on Friday The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving the service Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrive outside the cathedral The Queen speaks to Prince Louis on the balcony of Buckingham Palace