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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Less than a year ago Kate Middleton, known as Catherine to the royal family, became a part of a royal fairy tale when she married her prince charming, heir to the throne of England, Prince William. Prince William and Prince Edward have been extremely protective over Kate as she adapts to life in the public eye. But it’s now apparent that Kate can hold her own, and has proven herself by living up to the royal family’s expectations.

William, who arrived home last week after spending seven weeks in the Falkland Islands serving his duties in the Air Force, was greeted by Kate at the airbase where she welcomed her husband home. It was the longest time the royal couple has been apart since their nuptials on April 29, 2011. With much concern of how Kate would fare on her own, it has been shown that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, was meant for royalty.

While William was gone, Kate proved herself time and time again that she was born for the role she is playing. She engaged in several royal engagements, as well as charity events. And during those seven weeks, Kate even made her first solo royal speech. With grace and poise she gave a public speech at the opening of the East Anglia Children’s Hospice, located just outside of London. Before giving her speech, Kate was greeted by 600 fans.

Kate, who even wrote the speech herself, admitted she had a “pre-conceived idea as to what to expect,” and by adding that “it was far from being a clinical depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun.”

During her speech Kate also recognized her husband by stating, “I’m only sorry that my husband couldn’t be here today. He would love it here.” And with William gone for almost two months, it gave Kate a chance to get close to the one she is bound to impress the most, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth.

The queen has invited Kate to several official public engagements recently, something that she never invited Princess Diana to do in her first year of marriage to Prince Edward. Of the appearances, Kate joined the Queen and Prince Philip as they kicked off the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Tour. Kate has also recently been by the queen’s side for royal appearances in London at both Fortnum and Mason.

Prince Edward gave a statement to the press regarding his high opinion of Kate and her accomplishments. He stated, “Catherine is doing very well. She has taken to royal life like a duck to water. She’s very gracious and the family is very proud of her.”

Currently Kate and William are spending a lot of quality time together catching up and spending time with the newest addition to their family, a four-month-old cocker spaniel named Lupo.

William is only on short leave from duty right now, and he will soon resume his search and rescue duties at the Royal Air Force Valley. Looks like this time around, William will be less worried about Kate, as she gets another opportunity to charm the world with her compassion and care, by showing the public her dreams and plans for the betterment of society, and for the future England.

Image Courtesy of   Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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