The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

World Street Food Festival.

            Thus began the five day weekend! On Friday (6/1) we took advantage of not having class and attempted to sleep in as much as we could. This has proven difficult as we live right on a very busy street and our flat is on the first floor. In the afternoon, we headed down to the Southbank Center to spend some time at the World Street Food Festival. I was really happy to have seen this on TimeOut London online and that there was collective interest from the group in going. When we got there, everything looked amazing. I was weary of making preemptive decisions about what to eat, so Lauren and myself took our time exploring the market until and its foodie sensory-overload. I tried some orange carrot juice to quench my thirst, and then we moved from booth to booth checking out the options. There truly was cuisine from all corners of the globe. Lauren and I decided we wanted to try something new, as tempting at the gourmet mac ‘n cheese looked. We ended up getting some food from the Polish booth. I got a pork shoulder sandwich with caramelized onions (that and goat cheese are my Achilles of ordering food) and she got some sort of sausage sandwich. We took a seat on a random bench and enjoyed our delectable lunch. After we finished eating, and befriending these two random people who sat down with us, we walked back to meet up with the rest of the group. Everyone was enjoying their respective food, and we made sure to stick around long enough to get dessert. From churros to ice cream, Turkish delight to macaroons, we tried it all. I personally settled for a Pimm’s sorbet. Pimm’s is a type of liquor here that is fairly fruity and is often served with fruit soaked in it like a sangria.

The girls at the food festival.

Turkish desserts.

            After letting our stomachs settle for a bit while sitting outside one of the food trucks, we headed along the south bank toward the London Eye to explore the area. Although we did not actually choose to take a ride around the Eye at this point in time, we took some time to walk around the area there and ponder at the street performers. I was personally a little crept out by a few of them, specifically the one in the creepy bunny suit, but it was entertaining to see our friends and other people interact with them. The funniest moment perhaps was when Lucie was taking a photograph with the viking and a little boy who was maybe five years old came up to her. His friend taunted him and called Lucie his girlfriend in a teasing manor, to which the boy retorted “at least I have one!” In good spirits, we continued down past the eye to pass a McDonald’s, Aquarium (and giant penguin that I took a picture with <3), and more all whilst snapping pictures of the House of Parliament and surrounding architecture across the river Thames. Eventually we walked across Waterloo Bridge to Big Ben and the outskirts of the House of Parliament. The architecture is stunning and incredibly detailed. I have seen plenty of pictures of Westminster before, but it is nothing like actually seeing it in person. We took plenty of pictures of the towering buildings and walked around the area deciding what to do. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t in our favor so we decided to just head back to the flats once it began to drizzle on us. Friday night we continued Alesha’s birthday celebrations. Unfortunately the group got split up but a few of us stayed at this cool club which was actually sort of a two-in-one deal, called 333 and Mother.

Looking up at the London Eye.

            On Saturday (6/2) we took the tube to Hyde Park to walk around there and decide whether or not we wanted to explore the Family Festival going on there for the Jubilee weekend. As we ventured into the park it was evident that everyone was beginning to get into high spirits for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. If you’re not aware, the Diamond Jubilee celebrates the 60^th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s call to the throne. Individuals all over the park were plastered in Union Jack attire or red, white, and blue. We were truly beginning to sense the spirit emanating from the city at this point in time. We meandered around the park until coming to the festival entrance, and eventually decided not to make our way in. As many of us had not eaten lunch yet, we eventually made our way to a quiet pub in mid-afternoon. After finishing our meals, we decided to head back to the flats for the evening. Because a few of us were waking up early to try and stake out spots for the Jubilee flotilla on Sunday, we stayed in and hit the hay early.

Crowds lining the Thames and across Blackfriar Bridge.

Lauren and I with our awesome Great Britain flags.

            In the wee hours of Sunday morning (6/3, 8:00 AM), Lauren, Eleni, Irene (Eleni’s friend from home), Jessie, and myself set out from Gazzano to find a place to watch the Jubilee flotilla. We intended to take the tube to Waterloo, but ended up getting off early once the train of highly-spirited and possibly drunk Londoners exited at the Embankment stop. We hurriedly followed them off the tube, only to exit into the streets where the crowds began to gather. It was such a contrast to our seemingly “quiet” street back where the flats were. We were met immediately by a stand selling Jubilee garb and souvenirs. Although we added some caffeine to help us stay awake for the long day, the adrenaline was certainly pumping as we followed the flow of people toward the Thames. Though I was lucky enough to have gone to the inauguration concert in 2009 with my mom, this was a whole new level of spirit I hadn’t experienced nationally before. As we made our way eastward down the Thames looking for a spot to sit, it was clear that people had either a. showed up really early in the morning to find a spot or b. camped out overnight. Props to those who were able to get to the front row and sticking out the rain for longer than we did! Before settling on a spot, we had to buy some attire to truly get into the spirit of the Jubilee. Eleni and Irene bought some fashionable hats, while Jessie, Lauren, and I bought Union Jack flag capes (which turned out being fairly practical as an extra layer). Eventually we found a spot that ended up being near the bridge closest to our flats (Blackfriars), which we found a bit humorous as we had taken the tube to somewhere else at first. Thus began the waiting.

            After getting settled at 10:30 AM, it was not until 3:30 PM that the boats began to pass by our area. While we waited, we chatted, tried to keep warm and dry, sang some songs, people-watched, and got to grab lunch while Moira, Margot and Yi held our spots before they left to go to a pub to watch the flotilla. They also played (multiple times) a DVD presentation on the Queen’s rule. It was great to have the insight into the true importance of the occasion, and also see images and video of earlier times of her reign. Excitement began to build just before 2:00 PM, when they turned to live video of the Royal Family arriving to board their vessels. Cheers resonated when Will and Kate exited their coach, and boos were heard when Camilla (Prince Charles’ second wife, after Princess Diana) arrived. One thing that is definitely different is the mentality of this size of a crowd in Britain versus the United States. The respect was incredible, and the masses were so much less rowdy than anything I would’ve expected in the United States. The crowds reaction was strongest, however, when the lady of honor finally arrived! When the Queen stepped out of her car and walked down the red carpet, it was amazing being able to experience the spirit of the crowd firsthand. We watched the giant screens as she boarded the first boat, that would eventually take her and the others to the main one that they would be sailing down the Thames in. Though watching the event unfold on the screens was an exciting way to hold us over, nothing would be able to top seeing it in person.

The Royal Family's boat!
Queen Elizabeth II is in front in the white dress.

            Cheers and more slowly began to build from west to east, and after an hour and a half of waiting into the flotilla, the first boats began to arrive in front of us. We had such a great spot as the backdrop for the flotilla was a massive photograph of the Queen and the Royal Family during another Jubilee on the other side of the Thames. First came the boat with six differently-tuned bells on it, playing some sort of song. It was followed by a fleet of small vessels-mostly kayaks, rowing boats, and canoes of sorts from all different nations. Despite the spectacle of all the boats, nothing compared to the singular one that contained the Royal Family. The red and golden plastered ship made its way into our eyesight as the crowd became louder than ever. I couldn’t believe I was seeing the Queen with my own eyes. She stood atop the vessel with Prince Phillip, Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William, Kate, and Prince Harry. This, by far, has been the coolest part of my trip so far. The elderly man and woman, who were in the front row and had been hollering at passing ships before the flotilla even began, were spirited beyond imagine. It was an incredible feeling, vibe, sight, and more that couldn’t solely be described through words or experienced secondhand from photographs. After they went by I turned to the group of us and said, “Holy crap…we just saw the Queen.” How many people in the lifetime can say that have done that? Especially someone from the States. Not that I wasn’t grateful before, but this was a defining moment for me that really helped me realize how lucky I am to not only be in London in general, but be in London at this incredible and historical point in time.

            Our perseverance to stick on the rain kept us at the Thames until about 5:00 PM, when it began to pour harder. We had seen military ships, show ships, sport ships, and more. Umbrellas began popping up and we craned our necks through the two rows of people in front of us to try and catch as many boats and take as many photographs as possible. Despite the wait, the cold, the rain, and the congestion of people, it was a hell of an experience. In awe and good spirits, we made our way back to the flats to change into warm and dry clothes and rest of legs after an entire day of standing!

Jasper, Margot, Moira and I hanging out before the concert.

            The Jubilee celebrations continued into Monday (6/4). In the afternoon we packed up our bags, grabbed some food and blankets, and traveled to Hyde Park where we went to watch the Jubilee concert. We arrived at the sectioned off part of Hyde Park right before they opened the gates at 3:30 PM, it ended up being perfect timing. As soon as they announced people could enter, the boys began running toward the front section to secure the best viewing spot possible. Evading the crowd control officers, their swiftness left us with great seats up close to the biggest screens. Once we all rendezvoused at our spot, we laid out four blankets and began our afternoon in the park until the concert started at 7:00 PM. It was evident that people were way more prepared than we were, or at least the people next to us who brought a tent for whatever reason. Regardless, we were well-equipped with our blankets, rain gear, books, and iPods. The area of Hyde Park where the family festival was located that weekend was transformed into a complete viewing area for the concert. Screens lined the large central fields and were flanked by various stands to get food, drinks, or souvenirs.

            As the concert-time approached, more and more people decked in red, white, and blue filed in. Despite the thousands of people all viewing at Hyde Park, it definitely didn’t feel crowded as the area was so massive. When the music started up, and Robbie Williams came on stage, everyone began to get on their feet. It took a few songs, but soon the majority of the crowd was up, dancing, and singing by the time Will.I.Am wrapped up initially. Everyone’s spirit in combination with watching world class artists perform for the Queen was an incredible experience. I kept thinking to myself about how the power of the event was truly exemplified by the thousands of people gathered in Hyde Park just to “watch it on television.” We all had so much fun singing to the songs we knew, learning knew songs, and dancing along to the entire thing. Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney were some of the greats included in the lineup. A new song was also composed for the occasion entitled “Sing” in which music groups from all over the world came together to perform, perhaps representing the worldwide power of the Queen. Paul McCartney’s performance at the end was incredibly powerful, and was probably the slate of songs that was most collectively known throughout the crowd. After the performers finished, Prince Charles spoke. He provided thanks and congratulations to the Queen, his “mummy”, and provided a transition into her lighting the final beacon. After he wrapped up, the Queen was presented a “diamond” in which she placed on top of a lever of sorts that lowered to ignite the final beacon. As soon as the flames erupted, everyone hooted and hollered even louder than before in respect and graciousness to their sovereign. Fireworks were the cherry on top of the incredible evening, made even better by the fact we could see them clearly from Hyde Park just beyond the trees to our right.

            The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was by far my favorite experience so far in London. The fact that I was able to be here for such a unique, special occasion is something I will always be thankful for. All of the pride, joy, and respect that emanated from the people of the United Kingdom was both incredibly contagious and astonishingly powerful. Though individuals’ party lines, country of origin, or class may have varied, being able to witness the entirety of a city (and more so an entire nation) unified on such celebratory and joyous terms will be something I never forget.