Tens of thousands of people cheered Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, on the first day of celebrations of her 70-year reign, an unprecedented longevity for the British monarchy.
But the latter will not be present on the occasion of the jubilee mass, scheduled for Friday.
"The Queen very much enjoyed the parade for her birthday today (Thursday) and the flypast but she felt some discomfort," the palace said in a statement.
This Thursday was the highly anticipated culmination of the four-day platinum jubilee festivities of the ultra-popular 96-year-old sovereign, whose health is now fragile.
These celebrations offer Britons a moment of communion after several years of heartbreak over Brexit and strict confinements due to Covid-19, now followed by soaring prices.
Weakened since the death of her husband
Weakened since the death of her husband Philip last year, she has trouble walking.
She shows no willingness to back down, however, and has made several surprise appearances recently, smiling and relaxed.
In this atmosphere of end of reign, the monarchy finds itself confronted with growing criticism, particularly in the former colonies, concerning the slavery past of the British Empire.
Read alsoElizabeth II acclaimed, parade in London… the platinum jubilee in pictures
In the United Kingdom, the queen remains very beloved by her subjects with 75% of favorable opinions according to the YouGov institute, but her heir Charles is much less appreciated (50%).
Only 39% of Britons think the institution will still exist in 100 years.
