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Subscribe to RSSCelebrating her 60 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II and her family floated down the river on the Royal Barge. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.
It was, perhaps fittingly, a typical British summer's day.
As I rode my bike toward Tower Bridge, the rain came tipping down from heavy gray skies and poured over me and the million other people who had crowded through London's streets to line the banks of the River Thames.
But this was no ordinary summer's day. It's been more than 300 years since a huge pageant of ships sailed down the river — 60 years since Elizabeth became our queen.
Queen leads giant Diamond Jubilee flotilla on London's rainy Thames
A thousand ships, stretching seven miles long, led by dozens of rowing boats pushing their way through the choppy waters. A floating bell tower carrying the royal jubilee bells, their peals answered by church belfries all along the route. Little ships that had courageously evacuated Allied forces from under Nazi bombs at Dunkirk more than 70 years ago. History sailing in front of your eyes.
Boats with orchestras, trumpeters, bagpipes, choirs and drums. Steamships sounding their horns. Artillery firing a royal salute from the Tower of London. And a bedraggled throng of spectators all along both river banks, cheering and singing — Union flags in one hand; umbrellas in the other.
Then the royal barge, fittingly majestic, sailing by under the raised wings of Tower Bridge. I could barely make out the queen on board. But she was there, waving that stiff little royal wave of hers and doing what she always does so well: getting on with it.
I confess I'm not much of a monarchist — the monarchy has always seemed to me to reinforce the sense of privilege and class that still divides this country. But as we both get older (she's 86; I'm not) my views get softer. And I have to hand it to the old lady: After 60 years doing the job, seven days a week, she's surely not a quitter.
In pictures: Britain honors Queen Elizabeth II with Diamond Jubilee
As I squeezed my way past the crowds and the renovated warehouses that once crammed the streets by the river, I passed thousands of families making their way to the water's edge. Kids in buggies who had no idea what was going on but who will no doubt gaze at the photos in years to come and be glad they were there. Grandparents who remember the queen's coronation in 1953, and have grown old with her.
Melissa Harris-Perry and her panelists — Hill columnist Karen Finney; Robert Traynham, former communications director for Rick Santorum; former Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder; and Nation correspondent Ari Melber — look at the celebrations going on across the Atlantic.
And thousands of visitors who saw the worst of the weather and the best of British history and tradition on the same day.
Secret donors, foreign firms bankroll UK’s Diamond Jubilee celebration
As I got close to the site of our broadcast, I came to a bottleneck of spectators. In the road, and slowing them down, a group of anti-royal protesters carrying placards and making speeches. Police were standing quietly by.
"It's a good day for the queen," shouted one demonstrator, "and a bad day for democracy."
Not quite, I thought. It's been a good day for both. Good that the queen should celebrate 60 years of service to her country. And good for democracy that we live in a country where people are free to disagree.
My favorite moment? Our correspondent who — after outlining the amazing pageant of a thousand ships that sailed down the river with the queen in the pouring rain — was asked what else Her Majesty was going to do today. As if that wasn't enough.
No, it was most surely not an ordinary summer's day.
And you have to hope, don't you, that after 60 years on the throne, the queen is taking the rest of the day off?
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- 147 people feared dead in Nigerian plane crash
- Murderer's corpse dragged from car, eaten by bear in Canada
- Queen leads giant Diamond Jubilee flotilla on rainy Thames
- U.S. drone strike kills 10 in northwest Pakistan
- Tahrir Square occupied as anger grows over Mubarak verdict
- Suspect in 1995 Tokyo subway gas attack arrested in Japan
- Photoblog: Mourning the loss of more lives in Syria
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
London is known for dreary weather. Gray skies won't hold things back very much.
Good for her and for the people! God be with them all and hope they enjoy their celebrations. A day to get away from it all is what the world needs.
"What the world needs now, is love sweet love. That's the only thing that there's just too little of"
Best wishes to all!
WOW, imagine that. 60 YEARS on the throne!
I don't even take the newspaper into the loo, anymore, because my bum gets sore after just 10 minutes!
That was funny---in the third grade.
There will come a time, in the not-too-distant future, when people in a world gone mad will pine for the days of Queen Elizabeth.
What a class act she is...
God save the Queen!
Absolutely.
I enjoyed every minute of the celebrations; God Save the Queen!
I missed the celebrations on TV, so I'm listening to the first 5 albums of Queen instead.
The British royal family are parasites on the UK (perish the thought...of the UK, that is). They do nothing but go on tours so that their "subjects" can adore them. They are a complete anachronism in these modern times. Shame on the British people for supporting such narcissists! Charles, Camilla, William, Kate, & Harry should be ashamed for carrying on this tradition...they have so much money...they should just retire and stop being a drag on the British public finances.
I agree with you.
Charles has been behaving in unbecoming manners.
British should understand that they no longer control the world.
Even in Britain they is huge economic mess.
Still Britain pokes its nose as if they are world leaders. They should shut up on Iran, Syria and other places.
Just wait and watch how this dynasty and so on will wither away with time!
IrishNewcomer. Typical jealous Winger. If the Monarchy were to be gone tomorrow small minded people like you would find something to be jealous of. The fact that you are able to get on a computer and make comments here means that there are probabley a few billion people on this planet who might be jealous of you. Ever thought of that?
I'm sorry becareful what you wish for. It seems that countries that elect their head of state have many problems between their primeminister and their president. The Queen is head of state in name only, our primeminister runs the country and our foreign policy.
The Royals bring in way more than they cost and I really get offended when people make comments about them. "-
Charles has been behaving in unbecoming manners.
really and how are your manners to say this. These people may be Royals and yes have a life that seems to us to be lavish, but how would you like their job. Not in a month of Sundays would I put up with the invasion of privacy and having to smile all the time and never ever be able to have a human moment without it being commented on by narrow minded people like your self.
Long Live the Queen.
I can think of other person in the world that I would rather have a visit with, and a dinner, than the Queen. She is a very classy Lady, with a capital L!
I understand that she has a great sense of humor. My Texas accent would crack her up!
Meant to say "no other".
That's the queen, I thought that was a dinosaur fossil.
not a dinosaur fossile, dinosaurs actually had a purpose for existing at one time.....
It's nice to see the cultural centrism amongst the comment posters on these boards isn't just relegated to countries of non-whites. Apparently there are plenty of mouth breathers available to mock and criticize EVERY culture that is not exactly like their own.
You got it right!
Many are learning from likes of you.
I agree with you.
Charles has been behaving in unbecoming manners.
British should understand that they no longer control the world.
Even in Britain they is huge economic mess.
Still Britain pokes its nose as if they are world leaders. They should shut up on Iran, Syria and other places.
Just wait and watch how this dynasty and so on will wither away with time!
PiP PiP & Cheerio for the Blooming Queen.
While I do not agree with a Monarchy I will say that when things are crappy at least the Brits can look to their throne for some enjoyment albeit a taxpayer waste. Never understood how a family can be worth billions while never working a day in their lives.
God save the Queen! Long may she reign! Please don't let Prince Charles become King! Bypass him in favor of William!
Congrats for serving for 60 years Your Majesty. The flotilla was great to see.
Look forward to seeing other events including the Olympics this summer.
yes enjoy this celebration, after 60 yrs this is a sure sign that the brits have gone from being asleep to a deep coma and now finally they can be declared legally brain dead
If you don't like the Royal Family, why do you feel the need to read and then post negative comments. I personally do no feel the need to read things that don't interest me.
And please can we stop the bypass Charles for William stuff. For the record Charles can not be bypassed, he and only he can decide to step asside for his son, and if you really thing a man who has been bought up to consider being king not a privalidge but rather a duty to the country, to not do his duty you have no idea what the Royal Family is about.
Prince William will one day god willing be King, but not I hope for a great many more years, May the Queen live to at least her mothers age, and may Charles also have a long life.
I am proud to be a Royalist and only in the UK could you possible have such a wonderful rain soaked day as yesterday. Wet and proud ruled the day.
hope that wasnt for me cuz i didnt say a bad word about the royals
The whole world is collapsing and everybody poor but the Queen.....how does she do it? while your tipical English person has no more than enough to pay for heating bills in cold Brittain, and while tea and scones are not any longer available for all, how does the queen fit into the whole world piece? She is the world's richest! and her husband wants to depopulate by force the world. Ask and search who the Queen is, yes Brittish are blind now too, as she is the head of the state of iluminati and world powers...in case you didnt kknow it.
ROYAL POPERY for royal distraction...of royal destructions