A Last-Minute Call from Prince Charles Is What Spurred the Queen’s Final Platinum Jubilee Balcony Appearance
He told her the crowds were desperate to see her.
![Queen Elizabeth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HgpDecnwE2BR2kUA3tgnJ4-415-80.jpg)
More details are emerging about the Queen’s final Buckingham Palace balcony appearance to close the Platinum Jubilee last Sunday—and they are heartwarming.
After appearing on the balcony twice on Thursday for Trooping the Colour, Her Majesty was sidelined at Windsor Castle for most of the rest of the weekend due to ongoing physical mobility issues and discomfort. She missed Friday’s Service of Thanksgiving in her honor at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby at Epsom Downs and the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday—and we might not have seen her at all on Sunday were it not for eldest son Prince Charles, multiple outlets report.
“The Queen only decided that she would go to London about three hours before the balcony appearance,” an insider told the Mail on Sunday, via The Sun. “She was not feeling brilliant, but the Prince of Wales had called her and told her she really ought to come if she could. He told her there were so many people desperate to see her and he convinced her to come.”
After massive crowds turned out for Trooping the Colour Thursday, they were back in full force for her third and final balcony appearance Sunday, and Her Majesty is said to have had tears in her eyes moments before stepping out on the iconic balcony to close the Platinum Jubilee, as crowds below sang “God Save the Queen” to her.
“The Queen was totally overwhelmed by the number of people waiting to see her,” the outlet reports. “She had tears in her eyes before she stepped out on the balcony.”
The Daily Mail says Her Majesty was “tearful and overwhelmed with emotion” at the public’s reaction to her historic 70-year reign. Dressed in a bright green Stewart Parvin crepe wool dress and coat with a matching hat by Rachel Trevor-Morgan, Her Majesty poignantly stood beside her three heirs—Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince George—and their families for this moment in history. The Daily Mail reports that “it may be the last time that all four generations are seen on such a high-profile occasion.”
The Queen is expected to spend a long summer break in Scotland, where Craigowan Lodge, a stone cottage on the Balmoral Estate, has been fitted out with mobility aides, including a stair lift, The Daily Mail reports. Tomorrow, she plans to be at the investiture for the Order of the Garter, though she will not join the procession or attend the service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
And, for his part, says royal historian Robert Lacey, Charles’ future role as king was visible throughout the Platinum Jubilee, he told PEOPLE.
“[The Queen] sees this as a great opportunity for the transition to be visible,” he says.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford Medal in Mother-Daughter Olympic Matching
The pair touched down in Paris wearing coordinating navy looks.
By Julia Marzovilla Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Here's the Most 'Wicked' Twist on Olympics Opening Ceremony Style
Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande heard "Paris" but not "Olympics."
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Prince Harry Reveals Royal Family Rift Was Worsened by Tabloids
"Yeah, that’s certainly a central piece to it."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Why Did Prince William Remove Queen Camilla's Sister From His Payroll?
She was hired by King Charles in 2005.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and King Charles Have the Cutest Matching Friendship Bracelets
And fans think Charlotte was responsible.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Prince George Is Intentionally Being Raised Much Differently Than His Father Prince William Was, Even Though Both Are Heir to the Throne
“William still has painful memories of his own childhood and how he hated the persistent attention.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
In Naming Princess Charlotte, Prince William Poignantly Fulfilled a Long Ago Promise to His Late Mother, Princess Diana
Diana would be “over the moon” about it, her friend says.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William and Princess Kate Attending Sporting Events with Their Kids Is a “Much Needed Distraction” from Kate’s Ongoing Cancer Battle, Royal Biographer Says
“To say sports play a huge part in the lives of the royals is a massive understatement.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
After Meeting a Teenage Prince William for the First Time, Then Camilla Parker-Bowles Quipped “I Need a Gin and Tonic,” Royal Author Writes
Still largely known as “the other woman,” Camilla was “decidedly anxious” about meeting the future king.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Prince William Was Reportedly Advised to Sign a Prenup When He Married Kate Middleton 13 Years Ago—But He Refused
Thirteen years later, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ marriage seems stronger than ever.
By Rachel Burchfield Published