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The Queen thrilled crowds gathered to watch the final day of festivities celebrating her record-breaking 70-year reign with a surprise appearance from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Thousands gathered to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, with the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis looking on from the royal box.

It was unclear whether the monarch, 96, would make an appearance at the extravaganza after ‘discomfort’ on Friday forced her to miss yesterday’s Epsom Derby Day and Party at the Palace.

But hopes were raised when the Royal Standard went up at around 4.30pm on Sunday, indicating she was home and might greet those in attendance.

And she didn’t disappoint, stepping onto the balcony accompanied by Charles, Camilla and the Cambridges after crowds filled The Mall outside the Palace gates.

The appearance lasted less than three minutes, during which time those in attendance sang the National Anthem.

Moments earlier, Ed Sheeran performed his song ‘Perfect’ as a tribute to Her Majesty and her late husband Prince Philip.

Thousands gathered to watch the spectacle mirroring scenes from Saturday night when The Mall was filled with people delighted by Queen’s appearance with Paddington Bear at the Party at the Palace, and entertained by stars like Sir Elton John and Alicia Keys.

‘Seeing the Queen has been the best bit of this week’

Paula and Patrick Queenan, from Radlett in Hertfordshire, said the Queen and the royal family coming out on to the balcony was the best part of the jubilee celebrations.

Mrs Queenan, 57, said: ‘Seeing the Queen come out on the balcony was amazing.

‘We didn’t know if she’d come or not. This was the first day that I’ve been here and this was the real highlight.’

Mr Queenan, 58, added: ‘I came for the fly past on Thursday and the atmosphere was fantastic.

‘Our daughter and her fiancé came down from Sheffield today. They’re both doctors and so they’re going to head back now and they’re on duty tonight.

‘We had a street party on Friday, the whole street came to ours and sang the National Anthem. Seeing the Queen has been the best bit of this week.’

An 82-year-old who witnessed the Queen’s coronation said it was ‘amazing’ to see the monarch again on her Platinum Jubilee.

Anne Newing, from Sevenoaks in Kent, said: ‘I came to the coronation when I was 11 and I’m now 82, it was just incredible, just lovely.’

The octogenarian was impressed with the carnival parade, especially seeing the ‘golden coach come down with her photo in the window’.

‘Such a lot of hard work has gone into the costumes and to bring it all together – fantastic,’ she said.

She was in London with her daughter, Susan Newing, 59, who said her mother took her to many royal events as a child.

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‘I hope people will feel a great sense of pride’

Charles spoke about the camaraderie the Jubilee celebrations have fostered, telling revellers at The Big Lunch’s flagship event in London he hoped ‘bickering’ does not return after the feeling of ‘togetherness’ across the nation.

His sentiment was echoed by Pageant Master Adrian Evans, who has spent 18 months planning the £15 million event, featuring some 10,000 people including a cast of 6,000 performers.

Mr Evans told BBC News: ‘I hope at the end of the day people will feel a great sense of pride in what they’ve seen, enjoyment in what they’ve seen, humour and joy is an important part of what we’re doing today but also connected, that we are much more connected then we think we are.’

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The pageant was split into four acts: For Queen And Country with a military parade; The Time Of Our Lives progressing through seven decades of culture, music and fashion; Let’s Celebrate telling the story of the Queen’s life in 12 chapters with corgi puppets and carnival creations; and the Happy And Glorious musical spectacle.

The Gold State Coach, featuring archive footage of the Queen beamed onto the windows, led the parade of military units and it seemed as if the monarch was sat in the carriage.

Later, celebrities travelled on decorated open top double-decker buses for the decade-by-decade celebrations.

Close to 200 national treasures then took to the stage to serenade the Queen by singing the national anthem at the grand finale of the Platinum Jubilee festivities.

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Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee 2022

Dust off your Union Jack bunting, Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee is well and truly upon us.

Taking place from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, the celebrations mark Her Majesty’s record-breaking 70th year on the throne.

Across the UK, there will be street parties, concerts, and other special events attended by the Queen and senior members of the Royal Family.

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• Everything you need to know about the Platinum Jubilee Pageant
• Queen Elizabeth II’s best ever style moments through the years

Visit Metro.co.uk’s Platinum Jubilee page for all the latest updates.

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