All Hail Queen Liz…

Well my friends, the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations are over and I tell you what, I’m exhausted. Now, I like the sight of Her Majesty in a white sparkly outfit and a fancy hat as much as the next person and well, isn’t it just charming when she cracks a smile… but three whole days of flag waving? I’m pooped- and I didn’t even battle the crowds – I just celebrated from the warmth of various sofas and pubs around the capital.

You know what angers me? It is just so typical that the day that the world’s attention is focused on London, the rain is relentless. As if our image of being a dark, grotty, eternally rainy city isn’t enough, those people who aren’t educated to actually research our climate will have had all their ignorant stereotypes confirmed by one weekend in London.

The one thing that sticks with me about the flotilla is the fact that despite the torrential rain – no one was in any rush to get our 86-year old Queen and her 90-year old husband off the boat and into the warmth. No, instead they made them stand up (all the while luring them with the promise of a couple of comfy looking thrones just an arm’s length away) and didn’t seem to provide any beverages or food at any stage – not even a cup of tea, a glass of bubbly or a cocktail sausage in sight – that just seems mean!

Despite the abysmal weather you have to big-up the seriously hardy spectators who woke up at the crack of dawn, layered up and fought their way through the crowds to stand shoulder to shoulder with hundreds and thousands of absolute strangers in the pouring rain, just to catch a glimpse of Queenie herself. As I watched the event unfold from the warmth of my sofa, my heart was filled with admiration every time they showed a cagoule-wearing, Thermos-grasping member of the public smiling and singing despite the very obvious risk of hypothermia.

Our city may be rainy and grey but this weekend London proved that it knows how to throw a three-day party like the best of them and that a little rain isn’t enough to keep anyone at home. Here’s to having the best monarchy and the most hard-core spectators in the whole world. Her Majesty would be proud.

Image by DaveCrosby courtesy of Flickr