The Queen Closes the Platinum Jubilee with Surprise Buckingham Palace Balcony Appearance

Queen Elizabeth Prince Charles Prince William Prince George

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 5 June 2022

The Queen’s attendance at various Platinum Jubilee events has been up in the air this whole weekend—after attending Trooping the Colour on Thursday and making not one but two Buckingham Palace balcony appearances, the Queen participated in the Beacon lighting ceremony at her home of Windsor Castle before not being seen publicly for the next two days’ worth of events, staying at Windsor Castle because of ongoing physical mobility issues.

But, when the Royal Standard flag was raised above Buckingham Palace this afternoon as the Platinum Jubilee Pageant drew to a close, hope sprang high that Her Majesty would close the four-day festivities with one final Buckingham Palace balcony appearance—which she did, as “God Save the Queen” was sung in her honor.

Looking radiant in bright green, the Queen was joined only by Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and the five-member Cambridge family—Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

The Queen and her three heirs stood next to one another, providing a powerful look at the monarchy's present, and its future.

Her Majesty smiled and waved as crowds roared below.

Her appearance immediately followed an emotional rendition of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” which he performed in honor of the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of over 73 years before his passing in April 2021.

The balcony appearance concludes the Platinum Jubilee, honoring Her Majesty’s historic 70 years on the throne. Browse through Marie Claire’s extensive coverage of the weekend to learn all of what you might have missed…

…and God Save the Queen.

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.