DLD Boarders experience a once in a lifetime Royal Jubilee extravaganza
10th June 22
Half term was packed with the preparation and celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrating her reign of 70 years. Rarely have we felt so very fortunate so live in the heart of London as we did at this time. Westminster was electric with the buzz of visitors from across the globe and we were at the centre of the pomp and pageantry with the festivities lasting for four days.
Thursday was the start of the celebrations with Trooping the Colour – a parade of 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth. We were fortunate to witness the Royal Family returning to Buckingham Palace in the carriages and we waved our flags and cheered with aplomb! It was quite the experience making our way through the crowds in The Mall to get back to our prime location on the 18th floor to watch the flyover, culminating in a fabulous display from the Red Arrows aerobatic team.
Thursday ended with the gathering of staff and students to witness the Queen lighting the incredible Tree of Trees sculpture and principal beacon outside Buckingham Palace, from her home at Windsor Castle. We have all walked past this magnificent site from it’s time of conception, so to see it come to fruition was a truly special moment for us all.
On Saturday we joined the nation in having our very own DLD tea party, catered by the amazing staff from our Global Kitchen. There were all the traditional treats; cucumber sandwiches, bowls of strawberries, cloudy lemonade, and lots of cake! With very full tummies we settled down on sofas in the Atrium to watch the Platinum Party at the Palace on the giant screen. There were students once again braving the crowds on The Mall and on the 18th floor watching the celebrations from above, but wherever the location, all were joined by the party atmosphere.
Sunday saw the closing of the celebrations with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant down Whitehall to Buckingham Palace and once again, DLD were front and centre to witness it. Celebrating the armed forces, the Commonwealth, popular culture through the decades, creativity and community, we were taken on a journey of the decades of the Queen’s reign filled with song and dance. The Gold State Coach was a wonder to behold as it passed us by within touching distance.
Exhausted and happy we settled down on Sunday night to reflect on how truly fortunate we are to have experienced this historic event with front row seats to the whole extravaganza.
Watch this video short of the festivities.
From the DLD College London family, Thank you, Ma’am.
Shirley Mitchell, Director of Boarding
