Submitted by Charlotte Talis on the 2016 summer session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Art…
The Queen’s 90th birthday celebration took place on Saturday at Buckingham Palace. My flatmates and I woke up at 6 am to get there early before the celebration parade started at 10 am. While walking to the palace, we passed lots of people in military uniforms grabbing their morning coffee before making sure the celebration was safe for all to enjoy. Once we got to the palace, there were hardly any people there which was surprising because thinking about the parades and celebrations we have in the States, we thought it would already be filled with people waiting to see the Queen. While waiting, we got interviewed by Sky TV, one of Britain’s most popular TV networks. They asked us where we are from, why we care about the royal family and more. The clip will be featured in a series they’re putting together to air in November. It was so awesome to be interviewed on such a special day. Hopefully, we make the cut into the series.
At 10 am, after hours of waiting,the parade started. It was not nearly as elaborate as an American parade. There were lots of military people dressed in their fancy uniforms and more horses than I’ve ever seen together in my life. Between sections of the parade there was a long wait to see the next band or group of soldiers. It was hard to stay excited during the parade because every part of my body hurt from standing for so long, plus everyone showed up right before 10 am and started squishing us against the fences between us and the parade. Finally around 11 am, the carriages emerged from the palace. We got our first glimpse of the Queen, dressed in neon green. It was amazing to hear how loud people cheered when they got to see everyone from Kate Middleton to Prince Harry to the Queen. After another long wait, the carriage carrying Kate and Prince Harry passed right in front of us on their way back to the palace. Once the carriages were back into the palace and guards were in place, we got the opportunity to stand right in front of the palace to see the entire royal family together (including Prince George and Princess Charlotte) on the balcony. After waving for a while to her supporters, the sky became full of military aircrafts flying over the palace. The finale was quite possibly the most impressive part. Aircrafts released red, white and blue into the air across the crowd and the palace.
Overall, it was such a surreal experience. I’ve seen so many photos and videos of the royal family and I don’t follow them too much, but it was unreal to see them in real life. Yet, the most surprising part was the lack of security at the event. Our bags weren’t checked at all and we were allowed to run up to the front of the gates to the palace, plus the Queen and everyone else was out in the open in a huge carriage, no security sitting with her. Londoners have told us they have less security because their gun laws are so strict, but I still found it surprising they have such trust in the members of the crowd. I’m honored to have been in London for this amazing event and for her 90th birthday especially. Another once in a lifetime experience here in London! Cheers!