The Queen makes very few public speeches, so when she did take to the airwaves—something normally reserved only for the Christmas season—to thank the organizers of the Diamond Jubilee, it was a special event. The Queen recorded the speech on Monday, but the address was played to audiences after she exited the Buckingham Palace balcony on Tuesday, formally ending the jubilee’s festivities. “It has touched me deeply to see so many thousands of families, neighbors and friends celebrating together in such a happy atmosphere,” she said in the speech. “I hope that memories of all this year’s happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come.”
The Seven Oddest Things About the Diamond Jubilee
The four-day Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in London, celebrating 60 years on the throne for Queen Elizabeth II, attracted millions into town and millions more on television for a variety of spectacles and events. Some aspects were a bit more interesting than others.