FULL PICTURE
Dressed in powder pink,
the
Queen Mother was evidently very taken
by the pageant, although initially she
had not wanted any fuss to be made for her birthday
She hadn't wanted a fuss for her 100th birthday, but the
friends, family and many charities of which the Queen Mother is patron thought
otherwise. And so it was that the oldest member of the Royal Family agreed to a
royal pageant and, it has to be said, she received a magnificent one.
13 British army regiments, plus more from the Commonwealth, two RAF units, and
320 organisations, all of which boast the Queen Mother's support marched onto
Horse Guards Parade to salute the royal great-grandmother and her 100 years.
Famous organisations from the Red Cross to the NSPCC
walked alongside smaller organisations, showing a cross section of British life
in terms of age, location and wealth. A special cheer was given to the six
holders of the Victoria Cross and the 21 holders of the George Cross. |
FULL PICTURE
Charles and his
grandmother found
plenty to keep them amused, especially
when two of the Queen Mother's corgis,
Minnie and Rush, were led past by her
steward Billy Tallon
Familiar faces among the
entertainers
included the Wombles, who travelled up
from Wimbledon Common to add an
extra touch of humour to the day |
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A glorious event to mark 100
glorious years
| THE QUEEN MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY
PAGEANT |
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As the Prince of Wales
looked on, his
grandmother gave a rare speech, thanking
everyone for making the pageant so
special
One of the spectacles
that must have
brought back memories for the former
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the
recreation of post-WWII euphoria
It was touching that the royal family, though out in
force, stayed discreetly in the background. The Queen herself didn't attend as
she didn't want to steal the limelight from her mother. Princess Margaret,
Princess Anne, her brother Andrew and the Countess of Wessex all attended, and
the soon-to-be birthday girl was escorted by her eldest grandchild, the Prince
of Wales.
But he failed to persuade her to just sit back and relax throughout the event.
Once the regiments started their march past, the Queen Mother stood up to greet
them, and stayed standing for 15 minutes as they all passed by.
At the end of the pageant, the Queen Mother made a rare public address.
Speaking without notes and quite clearly from the heart, she said, "I
would just like to say a heartfelt thankyou to all those who have come from far
and near to take part in this lovely day. It has been a joy, from the marchers
to the children, my regiments and especially the musicians. I do hope you have
all enjoyed it as much as I have. It's been a wonderful event. I would just
like to say God bless you all and thankyou." |
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