Over 1,000 boats took to the Thames for a grand pageant to mark the second day of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

An estimated 1.2 million people thronged the banks to get a glimpse of the 86-year-old monarch and her family as they progressed down the river.

The event began when the Queen and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, arrived at Chelsea Pier, where they were met by the Prince of Wales in his capacity as Patron of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, along with his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall. After reviewing a Guard of Honor of Chelsea Pensioners, the royal party boarded a tender from HMY Britannia, which took them to the royal barge.

The craft that would carry the royal family was the MV Spirit of Chartwell, a 210-foot hotel barge usually used for luxury cruises along the Thames. The Spirit of Chartwell was heavily modified for the occasion so that she might resemble historic royal barges from the 16th and 17th centuries. The barge’s sides were adorned with red drapes, and the bow was decorated with a crown and the royal cypher. Also on board were extensive horticultural arrangements featuring flowers from the Queen’s gardens. Designed by Rachel de Thame, star of BBC Two’s Gardeners World, they followed a red, gold, and purple color scheme.

The Queen and her husband took in the day’s events from two lavish thrones placed under a canopy on the barge’s top deck. She was accompanied by other senior members of the royal family, including the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Harry.

Pageant participants were grouped by type, and the groups were separated by ‘herald barges’ carrying bands that played a diverse assortment of music. The bands ranged from the Academy of Ancient Music and the London Philharmonic Orchestra to the Shree Muktajeevan Pipe Band and Dhol Ensemble and Rhythm on the River. Among the pieces played was a new composition based on the original titles of Handel’s “Water Music.”

The boats taking part in the procession were equally diverse, and included rowboats, sailboats, steamboats, as well as an array of historic ships, including Dunkirk little ships and a Maori war canoe. One of the highlights was the Gloriana, an 94-foot vessel built specially for the occasion in the style of 18th century royal barges. Powered by 18 oarsmen, the Gloriana was the brainchild of Lord Sterling, who organized the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in 2002.

“I became enamoured with the idea of building something timeless and got inspiration from Canaletto’s paintings that showed the great barges of the 18th Century and decided to build one,” he told the BBC.

The Gloriana was financed entirely through donations and will be given to the Queen as a present to mark the occasion.

Image Courtesy of dutourdumonde / Shutterstock.com

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Queen Elizabeth II kicked off her Diamond Jubilee celebrations by attending Epsom Derby with other members of the royal family.

The Queen received a rapturous welcome as the royal motorcade made its way onto the course, and she was greeted by Katherine Jenkins’ rendition of the National Anthem as she emerged from her car. In addition to her husband, she was also joined by several of her relatives, including the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

The Queen is a keen horsewoman, and the Epsom Derby is one of the highlights of her year. In past years, she has had a horse in the race, and it is said that winning the Derby is one of her fondest ambitions. She has already won the 1,000 Guineas, the 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks, and the St. Leger. Last year, her horse Carleton House came in third.

“She’s incredibly knowledgeable. Her knowledge of thoroughbreds and breeding goes way back,” said Anthony Cane, chairman of Epsom Downs Racecourse.

Epsom had a carnival atmosphere this year, with a dramatic parachute fall by the British Army’s Red Devils taking place shortly before she arrived. Spectators were treated to a performance by Ashleigh Butler and her dog, the winners of Britain’s Got Talent. There were also stiltwalkers dressed as guardsmen, complete with trademark red tunics and bearskin hats.

Today’s race is traditionally called the Coronation Cup, but it has been renamed the Diamond Jubilee Coronation Cup. After the race, the Queen presented the trophy to trainer Aiden O’Brien. His horse, St. Nicholas Abbey, also won last year.

Elsewhere in Britain, the start of the Jubilee was marked by a 41-gun salute in London, and 21-gun salutes in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast. On Sunday, the Queen will take part in a pageant on the Thames that will see over 1,000 boats sailing down river. On Monday, there will be a picnic for 10,000 members of the public at Buckingham Palace, followed by a pop concert featuring such luminous names as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Tom Jones, Sir Elton John, Robbie Williams, and Stevie Wonder. Come nightfall, 2,012 beacons will be lit across the country. The Jubilee celebrations will conclude on Tuesday with a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, after which the Queen will attend a reception in her honor hosted by the Lord Mayor of London at Mansion House. Meanwhile, millions of her subjects will take part in street parties and other local events.

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The tower that houses Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster is likely to be renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth II after a majority of the Members of Parliament (MPs) gave their backing to the change.

The proposal was first made by Tobias Ellwood, a Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Foreign Office. He tabled an Early Day Motion requesting that the clock tower be renamed the Elizabeth Tower in honor of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

“Commemorating an iconic landmark as famous as Parliament is indeed a truly exceptional tribute and I am grateful that the majority of MPs believe the Queen deserves such an outstanding accolade,” he said.

“It therefore seems entirely appropriate for Parliament to pay tribute to Her Majesty with a similar honor, and in symmetry, to that bestowed upon Queen Victoria, by dedicating part of the iconic Parliamentary estate in her name,” he continued.

Forty MPs signed their names to the motion, and 331 MPs signed a formal letter of support, including the leaders of the three major parties. Prime Minister David Cameron said that “it is great news that so many MPs from across the House are backing what would be a fitting tribute to the Queen. I hope it will now move ahead.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that “the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is an occasion that the whole country is keen to celebrate, and Members of Parliament are no exception. I hope the House applies [to Buckingham Palace] to name this historic tower after Her Majesty.”

Echoing the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Labour Party leader Ed Miliband said that “Queen Elizabeth has dedicated herself tirelessly and constantly to the people of Britain and the entire Commonwealth. Parliament has agreed that this is a fitting tribute to her life of service and I hope it can be confirmed as soon as possible.”

In addition to the party leaders, the proposal has received the backing of Theresa May, the Home Secretary; William Hague, the Foreign Secretary; Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary; and Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. They are joined by other prominent MPs, including former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, former Home Secretary David Blunkett, and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls.

The honor mirrors that given to Queen Victoria when she celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The King’s Tower which stood at the southwest end of the Palace of Westminster was renamed the Victoria Tower.

The House of Commons Commission, which is responsible for Parliament’s administrative affairs, will meet in a few weeks’ time, at which point it is likely to approve the proposal in light of the strength of cross-party support. Once the commission has given its stamp of approval, the proposal will be formally presented to Buckingham Palace. If the Queen agrees, a renaming ceremony would be held, which she would likely attend.

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On March 20, Britain’s Parliament presented Queen Elizabeth II with ‘humble addresses’ to mark the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

Humble addresses are the traditional means by which Parliament communicates with the Sovereign. In most cases, these are mundane affairs that take place without much ceremony. But since this was a special occasion, both Houses assembled in their entirety to hear their respective Speakers present their addresses.

Upon arriving at the Palace of Westminster, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were met by a host of dignitaries, including the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Speaker, and the Speaker of the House of Commons. Both Speakers wore elaborate black silk robes adorned with gold lace and decorations.

But while the Lord Speaker, Baroness D’Souza, opted to wear traditional court dress (including knee breeches and tights) underneath it all, the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow chose to wear morning dress with a green House of Commons tie.

In addition to her husband, the Queen was accompanied by a number of courtiers, including the Countess of Airlie (one of her Ladies-in-Waiting), Colonel Dan Rex (her Equerry-in-Waiting), and Sir Christopher Geidt (her Private Secretary). Led by the Lord Great Chamberlain and his white wand of office, the royal party made its way into Westminster Hall, which is the oldest portion of the Palace of Westminster.

Because the House of Lords is technically the senior house, the Lord Speaker addressed the Queen first. “You have personified continuity and stability while ensuring that Your role has evolved imperceptibly, with the result that the Monarchy is as integral a part of our national life today as it was 60 years ago,” she said.

“We rejoice in this Jubilee and we give thanks for all that it represents,” she continued.

The Speaker of the House of Commons spoke next. “If, as Gandhi asserted, ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,’ then Your Majesty must have found Yourself countless times over the past six decades.”

“You have dedicated Your life to others.  The daily example that You set, mirrored by our courageous armed forces of which You are Commander-in-Chief, is extraordinary,” he said.

Bercow, who has long been an avid supporter of gay rights, spoke of how Britain was “a land where men and women today are equal under the law and where Your people are respected, regardless of how they live, how they look or how they love.”

He went on to call Her Majesty “a kaleidoscope Queen of a kaleidoscope country in a kaleidoscope Commonwealth,” much to the apparent annoyance of Prime Minister David Cameron, who scowled at the Speaker.

When Bercow had finished speaking, the Queen thanked her Parliament for their addresses. In doing so, she paid tribute to her husband’s tireless support, saying “Prince Philip is, I believe, well-known for declining compliments of any kind. But throughout he has been a constant strength and guide.”

Referring to the elaborate stained-glass window that had been commissioned to mark her Diamond Jubilee, she mentioned that “the happy relationship I have enjoyed with Parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand Bills I have signed into law. I am therefore very touched by the magnificent gift before me, generously subscribed by many of you. Should this beautiful window cause just a little extra color to shine down upon this ancient place, I should gladly settle for that.”

“We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity and tolerance which created it. I have been privileged to witness some of that history and, with the support of my family, rededicate myself to the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come,” she concluded.

Image Courtesy of  Zoran Karapancev / Shutterstock.com

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