LONDON (AP) — Four days of celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th birthday on the throne begin Thursday with a showcase of British military traditions stretching from the days of horses and cannons to the jet age.
The official celebration of the Platinum Jubilee begins with Trooping the Colour, an annual military review that has celebrated the monarch’s official birthday since 1760. The Queen is expected to join working members of her family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace at the end of the event. when 70 planes are roaring overhead.
The anniversary is celebrated with a four-day public holiday. The celebration of Elizabeth’s reign includes a Friday Thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, a concert at Buckingham Palace on Saturday and a pageant put on by thousands of performers from schools and community groups across the country on Sunday afternoon.
Local organizations and individuals are expected to host thousands of street parties across the country over the weekend, repeating a tradition that began with the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
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