• 'Deeply saddened': Pope, UK queen lead worldwide condolences after Oklahoma tornado

    Evening Standard

    London's Evening Standard newspaper reports on the tornado in Oklahoma.

    By Alastair Jamieson, Claudio Lavanga and Amna Nawaz, NBC News

    Pope Francis and Britain’s queen sent messages of condolence to those affected by the deadly Oklahoma tornado Tuesday, as news of the devastation spread around the world.

    "I am close to the families of all who died in the Oklahoma tornado, especially those who lost young children,” the pontiff posted on his Twitter feed. “Join me in praying for them."

    The U.S. Embassy in London thanked British well-wishers for their expressions of support.

    In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace officials, Queen Elizabeth said: "I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of life and devastation caused by yesterday’s tornado in Oklahoma."

    "Prince Philip joins me in offering our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families at this difficult time. Our deepest sympathies go out to all those whose lives have been affected, as well as the American people," she added.

    Canada's foreign minister John Baird said he was "shocked and saddened" at the devastation.

    "Canada stands with those affected, ready to assist," he added.

    Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the government and people of the country were “deeply saddened and shocked at the humanitarian tragedy unleashed on the Oklahoma State by a devastating tornado.”

    “Our sympathies and prayers go out to the families of victims of this horrific incident that led to precious loss of life and property,” the statement said. “We are particularly grieved over the loss of innocent children and their teachers who were buried under the rubble.”

    “May God Almighty give courage and strength to the bereaved families to bear this irreparable loss. The people of Pakistan stand hand in hand with the people of Oklahoma at this difficult time,” it added.

    Full coverage of the Oklahoma tornadoes from NBC News

    This story was originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 9:01 AM EDT

  • The Netherlands gets its first king in 120 years after Queen Beatrix abdicates

    Bart Maat / AP

    Dutch Princess Beatrix, left, gives to her son, King Willem-Alexander, the Act of Abdication, which she signed to end her reign as monarch on Tuesday.

    By Gilbert Kreijger and Thomas Escritt, Reuters

    AMSTERDAM -- Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands abdicated on Tuesday, handing over to her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, who became the first King of the Netherlands in over 120 years.

    An estimated 25,000 well-wishers cheered outside the Royal Palace in Amsterdam as the abdication and automatic succession were broadcast live.

    The crowds had gathered in Dam Square from early on Tuesday to see the new King and his wife, Queen Maxima, as they stepped out onto the balcony of the Royal Palace. Beatrix blinked back tears as she presented her son.

    Koen Van Weel / AFP - Getty Images

    People, most of them wearing orange T-shirts, hats or plastic crowns, gather in Dam Square on Tuesday to celebrate their new king. Orange is The Netherlands' royal color.

    Wearing a sober purple dress, Beatrix signed the abdication document in front of the Dutch cabinet, Willem-Alexander and Maxima, who wore a pale rose-coloured dress with a shimmery skirt and enormous bow on her left shoulder.

    "Today, I make way for a new generation," said Beatrix, 75, who now takes the title of Princess.

    Willem-Alexander, a 46-year-old water management specialist, is expected to bring a less formal touch to the monarchy together with Maxima, a popular former investment banker from Argentina.

    April 30, or Queen's day, is always a day for partying in the Netherlands. Many people took Monday off work and started celebrating in earnest from Monday evening with street bands and music.

    Beatrix chose to retire after 33 years in the role, following in the tradition of her mother and grandmother.

    Amsterdam has been awash with orange, the royal color, for days. Houses were covered in bunting and flags and shop windows were stuffed with orange cakes, sweets, clothes and flowers.

    Nearly a million people were expected to join the street party with dancing to bands and DJs, helping create a carnival atmosphere.

    "He (Willem-Alexander) knows what is needed. He unites people. He has made it possible for the different generations to mingle more," said 40-year-old Margriet Dantuma, dressed in an orange skirt, as she joined others on the Amsterdam pavements putting out impromptu stalls of bric-a-brac for sale.

    The royals are broadly popular, with 78 percent of Dutch in favor of the monarchy up from 74 percent a year ago, according to an Ipsos poll.

    But they have been stripped of their political influence, and no longer appoint the mediator who conducts exploratory talks when forming government coalitions.

    Beloved monarch Queen Beatrix has announced she will abdicate the throne she has held for 33 years in favor of her son, Willem-Alexander, saying responsibility for the country "must now lie in the hands of a new generation." NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

    The Dutch monarch is never crowned, since, in the absence of a state church, there is no cleric available to carry out the coronation. But there is a crown, which will sit on a table next to him throughout the ceremony, along with other regalia that constitute the crown jewels.

    Willem-Alexander will wear a royal mantle that has been used for investitures since 1815, although it has been repaired and altered at least twice over the past century, for the investitures of his mother and grandmother. 

    Related:

    Seeing orange: Dutch count down to first king in over 120 years

    Dutch queen gives up throne in favor of son

    Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

  • UK's queen hospitalized by stomach bug

    For the first time in ten years, Britain's 86-year-old Queen Elizabeth is in the hospital, but in good spirits. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.

    By Alastair Jamieson, Staff writer, NBC News

    LONDON -- Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was admitted to hospital after experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis, Buckingham Palace said Sunday.


    All her official engagements for this week will be either postponed or canceled as a precaution, the palace said in a statement.

    The queen, who celebrated 60 years on the throne last year, had already canceled her weekend engagements because she had been feeling unwell.

    An unidentified palace spokesman told ITV News the 86-year-old was in "good spirits" and "good health" despite her illness.

    "This is a precautionary measure," the spokesman said. "She was not taken into hospital immediately after feeling the symptoms. This is simply to enable doctors to better assess her."

    She was being treated at the King Edward VII Hospital in London, a private facility.

    Gastroenteritis is a stomach illness most often caused by a virus or food poisoning.

    An historic first as Queen Elizabeth attends a cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street as part of her diamond jubilee celebrations. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

    BBC correspondent Peter Hunt reported she would be kept there for observation for about two days.

    Her canceled duties include a planned trip to Italy where she was due to be the guest of President Giorgio Napolitano on Wednesday.

    Early last week, she met the Archbishop of Canterbury at Buckingham Palace, and on Thursday she presented a host of British Olympic stars with honors at a ceremony.

    86-year old Queen Elizabeth II has been hospitalized with symptoms of a stomach infection. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.

     

     

    This story was originally published on Sun Mar 3, 2013 11:02 AM EST

  • Ireland PM in historic tribute to veterans on British Remembrance Day

    Dan Kitwood / Getty Images

    Queen Elizabeth II waits to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph during Remembrance Sunday in Whitehall on November 11, 2012 in London.

    By NBC News staff and wire reports

    BELFAST - Ireland's prime minister laid a wreath to honor fallen soldiers at a British Remembrance Day service for the first time on Sunday, the latest gesture of reconciliation between historic foes. 

    Annual Remembrance Day services to honor Britain's war dead and the wearing of the traditional poppy are controversial in Ireland because of abuses committed by soldiers in Northern Ireland and during British rule in Ireland before independence.

    Enda Kenny took part in a service in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland on the 25th anniversary of the Irish Republican Army bombing of a Remembrance Day service in the town that killed 12 people, one of the worst atrocities of three decades of sectarian violence.

    Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images

    Former service personnel attend Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, Central London, on November 11, 2012.

    Meanwhile in London on Sunday, the Queen Elizabeth was joined by Prince Phillip and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the annual memorial service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. The Queen, whose grandson Prince Harry is currently serving as a soldier in Afghanistan, laid a wreath.

    The traditional two-minute silence at 11am – timed to coincide with the armistice that ended the First World War in 1918 - was held to remember members of the British and Commonwealth's armed forces who have died during conflicts.

    The same silence was observed by millions of veterans and civilians across the UK, and by British forces serving across the world - including 9,500 soldiers in Afghanistan. Many wore a poppy – the symbol of remembrance – on their lapel.

    Luke Macgregor / Reuters

    Britain's Prince William attends the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph in London November 11, 2012.

    In Enniskillen, Kenny stood, head bowed, during the silence before taking his turn to lay a wreath on the war memorial yards from the spot where the IRA bomb exploded in 1987.

    His green laurel wreath laid on behalf of the Irish Government stood out among wreaths of red poppies. He did not wear a poppy.

    The gesture came a year after a visit by Queen Elizabeth to Ireland, the first by the British sovereign since independence.

    During the visit, the Queen laid a wreath in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin to honor those Irish men and women who died fighting for Irish freedom from British rule.

    Also on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore became the first Irish minister to attend a Remembrance Day service at Belfast City Hall, laying a wreath at the city's cenotaph.

    Tens of thousands of Irish soldiers fought for Britain in both world wars, but they receive relatively little recognition in Ireland, which took advantage of World War One to fight British rule and remained neutral during World War Two.

    With relations with Britain the warmest for decades, the Irish government in June pardoned thousands of servicemen who deserted to fight for the Allied forces during World War Two.

    During more than 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland when more than 3,600 people died, the participation of an Irish leader in a Remembrance Day ceremony would have been unthinkable.

    The violence was largely ended by the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 which set up a power-sharing administration between unionists, who want to maintain Northern Ireland's position in the United Kingdom, and nationalists, who aspire to a united Ireland.

    Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Royal censorship? BBC says 'sorry' for daring to report UK queen's comments

    Geoff Pugh / AFP - Getty Images, file

    Queen Elizabeth II meets BBC journalist Frank Gardner at an event in October 2011. The BBC apologized on Tuesday after Gardner reported a conversation with the queen.

    By Keir Simmons, NBC News

    Analysis

    LONDON - Imagine this: President Barack Obama makes an indiscreet remark to a reporter.  The White House complains after the journalist reports the newsworthy encounter. The reporter and his network apologize.

    Hard to visualize, isn’t it?

    But something very similar did happen with the U.K.'s head of state this week.  

    Highly respected BBC journalist Frank Gardner reported a controversial conversation with Queen Elizabeth II about radical Islamist cleric Abu Hamza al-Mazri, who on Monday lost his appeal against extradition to the United States to face terrorism charges. 

    Cleric al-Masri loses bid to avoid extradition to US on terror charges

    Buckingham Palace was reportedly outraged. Gardner and the BBC -- seen by many as a standard-bearer for quality journalism around the world -- issued a groveling apology. 

    Peter Morrison / AP

    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, on June 26.

    So does the British media have different rules for covering the royals?

    Three-quarters-of-a-century ago newspapers in this country remained silent as U.S. journalists excitedly reported on a relationship between the future King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson.  The relationship eventually led to Edward abdicating the throne.

    And in the last month, most British news outlets refused to publish those naked Prince Harry pictures, while the U.K. media said "non" in unison to the French paparazzi snaps of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge - the former Kate Middleton - topless.

    Criminal case continues over topless Kate photos

    The intimate pictures were viewed by many British editors as an invasion of privacy.  

    But while stories about royal love affairs, and pictures of cavorting young royals are arguably an invasion of privacy, this latest spat between Buckingham Palace and the media is of another order entirely.  That is because while the queen signs off on Britain's laws, guides the prime minister and entertains visiting leaders from around the world, by tradition and according to convention she cannot and must not be seen to take sides.

    Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating 60 years on the throne. Watch archival footage from her childhood and ascension to the throne to the present day.

    In fact, a constitutional crisis could ensue if she is seen to be meddling. 

    That said, the queen is involved in affairs of state. 

    'Vivid combination'
    The prime minister meets with the monarch every week.  She has held these sessions since Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s days.  Yet what is said is never shared.  If the queen does give advice no one is ever told what it is.

    Former Prime Minister Tony Blair went further than most when in his diary he described the visits to the palace as, “A vivid combination of the intriguing, the surreal, and the utterly freaky.” 

    More coverage of Britain's royal family on TODAY.com

    But even he did not recount a word of what was actually said.

    Many speculate on what the queen's political views might be, but very few people know for sure what they are.

    So given the long-standing conventions governing interactions with the monarch, any opinion the queen did share with Gardner would have been off-the-record and not for reporting.  Otherwise she would not have expressed a view. 

    And journalists, of course, have a duty not to reveal their sources where confidentiality has been promised.

    In that sense Gardner broke a simple rule of journalism. If you're told something off the record, you can't source it without permission.

    If the queen did share vigorous views on al-Masri's deportation to the United States -- she was apparently so upset about the U.K.'s inability to arrest him that she spoke to top government officials about it -- then it was meant for Gardner's ears only.

    Four terrorists wanted on charges in the US have lost their case at the European Court of Human Rights and will be extradicted to the US after years of legal battles. ITV's Lucy Manning reports

    But not everybody sees it that way.

    “We have to ask: if the BBC had revealed another source, under any circumstances at all, would the apology have been so rapid? Or is it, again, different for the royals?” columnist Archie Bland pondered in the left-leaning Independent newspaper.

    So is it different for the royals, or at least the queen, in one important sense. Being unelected she is not supposed to have an opinion. That's the deal. She gets to be queen because she rises above politics.

    She might be a highly experienced “sponge,” as described by royal biographer Hugo Vickers, who brings the wisdom built from decades on the throne, but according to British tradition she is definitively not a politician or an opinion-leader.

    Queen leads giant Diamond Jubilee flotilla on London's rainy Thames


    Many argue that the reason she makes such a good head of state is precisely because she’s never heard mouthing off about one issue or another.  If she were, if she ventured into the world of the political, it would shake the balance of power in Britain.

    Which explains why Buckingham Palace was so upset, and why the story is causing such a stir. It is also why Britain's future king, Prince Charles, ruffles feathers when he expresses views about the environment or architecture.

    In pictures: Britain honors Queen Elizabeth II with Diamond Jubilee

    Probably many British people will be pleased to hear that the queen is prepared to express strong opinions when necessary, albeit in private.

    But the queen will not want it to happen again. She knows how much damage it can do to her, her family and her country.

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  • UK Queen's husband Prince Philip leaves hospital after bladder treatment

    The Duke of Edinburgh has left a hospital in Scotland after treatment for a bladder infection. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

    By ITV News

    The Queen’s husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, has left hospital in Scotland after receiving six days of treatment for a bladder infection.

    Prince Philip, 91, smiled as he shook the hands of staff members at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before being driven away in a chauffeured Range Rover.

    Doctors at the weekend advised the Duke to get rest and not accept any visitors.

    Read the full story at ITV News

    The Queen traditionally spends three months of the summer in Scotland. This year, she arrived at her Balmoral home for some rest and relaxation after a hectic few months of engagements to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee and then the Olympics.

    Two months ago, Prince Philip was taken to hospital with a bladder infection, overshadowing four days of celebrations for the queen's 60th year on the British throne.

    In December last year, Philip had an operation to clear a blocked heart artery and spent Christmas in hospital.

    ITV News is the UK partner of NBC News

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  • Never thought I'd see this day: Reflecting on queen's historic meeting with ex-IRA commander

    Martin McGuinness, a former commander of the Irish Republican Army met with Queen Elizabeth in Northern Ireland. It was a historic moment decades after the IRA led a bloody fight against British rule. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports.

    By Sohel Uddin, NBC News

    Thirty-five years ago, Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee was greeted with graffiti declaring "Victory to the IRA, stuff the jubilee."

    Wednesday marked a highly significant turnaround as the queen, in her diamond jubilee year, met and shook hands with a onetime senior Irish Republican Army commander who once stood against everything she represented and even considered her a legitimate target.

    As a British person and a journalist, I never thought I'd see this day.

    This is because I grew up with Northern Ireland. What does this mean? It means watching with incredulity as the IRA targeted the British establishment, including a sitting prime minister -- almost succeeding in assassinating her.

    Coverage of event by NBC News' U.K. partner ITN News

    The "troubles," as they were diplomatically called, became part of everyday life. We watched clashes with soldiers on television. News of bombings was a constant drip-drip in the news. It was one of those things that as a boy and a young man, I thought would never end. 

    So the meeting with Martin McGuinness, the first between the queen and a senior member of the IRA or its political wing Sinn Fein, is a landmark in the peace process 14 years after the militant group ended its 30-year campaign against British rule.

    PhotoBlog: A historic handshake, a historic image in Northern Ireland's peace process

    On Tuesday, she held a private meeting with relatives of the 11 people killed in a 1987 bombing in Enniskillen, an attack that sparked a wave of revulsion against the IRA and helped convince its leadership to engage in the peace process.

    3,500 killed
    Belfast's Lyric theater, the venue of the historic handshake, has probably never felt so much attention during a performance as it did during the get-together between the British monarchy and Sinn Fein. 

    Photos: Queen Elizabeth II begins her 20th trip to Northern Ireland

    Few will know what the queen was thinking. But surely it was a difficult event for her, and not just because of the more than 3,500 killed in the conflict, 1,800 of whom were innocent civilians, according to The Guardian.

    Paul Faith / Pool via AFP - Getty Images

    Britain's Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in Belfast on Wednesday.

    It is doubtless especially poignant for her because her cousin, Lord Mountbatten, was killed in 1979 when the IRA blew up his boat in Southern Ireland. He was the man who many believe was responsible for the queen's marriage to Prince Philip, and was a guiding influence to the heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles.

    The countless threats her family has lived with must have contributed to a feeling of unease ahead of the meeting. But the queen's real thoughts will probably never be known, nor will her reaction when she was advised to perform this duty.

    'It will be difficult': Queen meets IRA victims before landmark handshake

    And it wasn't only the queen who was taking a chance -- it came at a cost for McGuinness too. He was being branded a traitor, with a lot of republicans saying that he has sold out and betrayed the principles they stand for.

    Republicans protested against Wednesday's meeting, and McGuinness' decision could hurt his political ambitions.

    British reaction on a political level has by and large been supportive, despite the bitterness and painful memories of the past.

    Norman Tebbit, a former Conservative Party Chairman and a survivor of a deadly bombing in the seaside city of Brighton that targeted Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, saw it as a victory over the IRA.

    Before Wednesday's event, Tebbit wrote in The Telegraph that the meeting would be a victory for the queen, the monarchy and Great Britain: 

    "I am glad that Mr McGuinness appears to have now accepted on behalf of IRA/Sinn Fein the sovereignty of Her Majesty over Northern Ireland, and I hope that this is a step towards a public recompense and confession of his regret for the violence unleashed by them in his name."

    While the meeting does not mark the end of tensions in Northern Ireland, it draws a line under a conflict that cost the lives of thousands and beset the queen for half of her reign.

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  • In recession-ravaged Britain, Queen Elizabeth II gets a raise - to $56 million a year

    Slideshow: Life of a queen

    Carl Court / AFP - Getty Images

    After more than five decades on the throne, view images from the extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth II.

    Launch slideshow

    By Reuters

    LONDON - Britain's Queen Elizabeth has another reason to be cheerful in her Diamond Jubilee year - her annual pay is about to jump by 20 percent to 36 million pounds ($56 million).

    Her property holdings, known as the Crown Estate, posted a record profit of 240.2 million pounds ($377.4 million), a net rise of 4 percent in the year through March 2012 largely due to strong tenant demand for its shops in the upmarket Regent Street and St James's districts of London.

    At a time when Britain is in recession and many families are feeling the pinch of higher household costs and taxes, the Queen's allowance will rise to 36 million pounds from 30 million pounds, the level at which it was frozen in October 2010 under new laws which peg her pay to the estate's profits.

    Slideshow: Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

    Her Majesty celebrates 60 years on the throne.

    Launch slideshow

    "It's a great set of results and I'm sure everyone's going to be happy," Crown Estate Chief Executive Alison Nimmo said.

    The 85-year-old queen celebrated her 60th year on the throne this month with a 1,000-vessel flotilla on London's River Thames and nationwide street parties.

    Read more news about Britain's royal family on TODAY.com

    She has been paid by taxpayers through an allowance set by Parliament and via other government grants since King George III ceded all property profits to the Treasury in 1760.

    Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating 60 years on the throne. Watch archival footage from her childhood and ascension to the throne to the present day.

    The Crown Estate pays all of its profit to the Treasury, or finance ministry. Under new laws that come into effect in 2013-14, the monarch's pay is calculated as 15 percent of the estate's profits from two years prior.

    Prince William turns 30, gets $15.5 million Diana inheritance

    The changes were designed to ensure the queen's pay would rise and fall with the health of the British economy, which this year entered its second recession since the start of the global financial crisis.


    Used mainly to pay the Royal household's staff as well as for items like laundry, stationery and official functions, her 2013-14 pay will be the highest since 2008 though still less than half of her 1991 pay of 77.3 million pounds ($121.2 million).

    The Crown Estate, which owns a mix of wind farms, retail parks and most of Britain's seabed in addition to its central London properties, outperformed the industry's Investment Property Databank (IPD) benchmark index due to strong international interest in the London property market and the country's growing dependency on renewable energy.

    While more than a century separates festivities marking Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne from those honoring her predecessor Queen Victoria, surprising similarities connect the commemorations. NBC News' Jim Maceda reports.

    The value of its property portfolio rose 7.4 percent to 7.6 billion pounds from the previous year, while the total return, which includes rental income, was 16.8 percent, outperforming the IPD index by 10.4 percentage points.

    Its London projects include the 500 million pound ($784 million) regeneration of the St James's district, where it will redevelop almost 300,000 square feet of new shops, offices and homes.

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    Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

  • Jobless worked unpaid at queen's jubilee and slept under London Bridge

    By Ian Johnston, msnbc.com

    Originally published June 5: A group of unemployed people were brought to London to do unpaid work at the queen’s jubilee celebrations and told to sleep under a city bridge, a British newspaper reported on Tuesday.

    The Guardian newspaper reported that long-term jobless from Bristol, Bath and Plymouth in western England were taken by bus to the capital city for “work experience” as crowd-control staff lining the route of the river pageant and other events, and the chance to get paid employment at the London Olympics.

    The security company that ran the security operation said while the unemployed people were not paid, they did receive boots and clothing worth more than $180 and a security industry license costing about $390. It added that the bridge incident "should never have happened."

    'Raining and freezing'
    One of the group told The Guardian that they arrived in London at 3 a.m. local time Sunday after a four-hour bus drive from Bristol.

    The excitement over Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee festivities were tempered by news that her husband, Prince Philip, was hospitalized with a bladder infection. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports on the Prince's condition.

    “We all got off the coach and we were stranded on the side of the road for 20 minutes until they came back and told us all to follow them,” the woman told The Guardian. “We followed them under London Bridge and that’s where they told us to camp out for the night … it was raining and freezing.”

    After the family dramas of the '80s and '90s, Queen Elizabeth II appears to have embraced Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, as well as Duchess Catherine, the new wife of Prince William. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports on the trio of women who have been seen enjoying one another's company throughout the Jubilee festivities.

     


    She and another jobless person -- the paper said both did not want to be named for fear they would lose their welfare payments -- said they had to change into security clothes in public and had no access to toilets for 24 hours. After a 14-hour shift Sunday, they went to sleep in a tent on the outskirts of the city.

    Jubilee celebrations: Queen cuts a lonely figure at church service

    They claimed they had initially been told they would be paid and only learned they would not as they got onto the bus Saturday night.

    Queen Elizabeth II attended a service St. Paul's Cathedral in honor of her Diamond Jubilee and was later treated to a concert by music legends Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. TODAY's Matt Lauer reports and reviews the festivities with royal expert Camilla Tominey, historian Andrew Roberts, and Christopher Dickey of Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

    The jobless group was working for Close Protection UK, a private firm that won a contract to provide stewards to help control the crowds during the jubilee celebrations and will also provide stewards for the Olympics.

    “The London Bridge incident should never have happened but was to some extent outside our control,” Molly Prince, managing director of Close Protection UK, said in an emailed statement.

    'Not for the faint hearted'
    “The nature of Festival & Event work is such that we often travel sleeping on coaches through the night with an early morning pre-event start,” she added. “It is the nature of the business and there is no misconception about this, it’s hard work and not for the faint hearted.”

    However she said the bus drivers had “insisted on leaving” after they arrived in London at 3 a.m. Sunday.

    “For this we sincerely apologize,” the statement added. “… The Drivers said their work was done even though they were there 2 hours ahead of schedule.”

    A gloomy, gray - and great - day for the UK

    She said the firm would not be using the bus company again.

    Prince wrote that most of the people who worked at the pageant were “happy, fed and looked after as best [as] possible under the circumstances."

    “We are not in the business of exploiting anyone,” she added.

    Diamond Jubilee: From ska to pop, stars rock Buckingham Palace

    Prince said in another email to msnbc.com that the Guardian article and media spin "could jeopardize my entire business."

    She added the "20 or so volunteers" had been taken "off the job" Tuesday.

    The jobless people were placed with Close Protection UK by a charity, called Tomorrow’s People.

    Abi Levitt, the charity’s director of development services, told msnbc.com that the drivers' departure was a  “very unfortunate incident."

    She stressed taking the unpaid work was “absolutely voluntary for a day at the jubilee.”

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  • Diamond Jubilee celebrations: Queen 'touched' by 'happy atmosphere'

    The queen and the royal family appear on the famous Buckingham Palace balcony for a royal wave in front of thousands of Brits who are helping the nation's monarch celebrate 60 years on the throne.

    By NBC News and msnbc.com staff

    Updated at 1:06 p.m. ET: LONDON - As her jubilee celebrations drew to a close, Queen Elizabeth II said the events had been a "humbling experience," adding that she will treasure "the countless kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth."

    "It has touched me deeply to see so many thousands of families, neighbors and friends celebrating together in such a happy atmosphere," she said in a message to the nation, according to the BBC.

    Queen Elizabeth's message was broadcast across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. She also thanked the organizers for their hard work.

    "It has been a massive challenge, and I am sure that everyone who has enjoyed these festive occasions realizes how much work has been involved," she said. "I hope that memories of all this year's happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come."

    The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke of the Queen's "very public act of dedication" when she succeeded to the throne and pledged her life to the nation. It's a phrase that sums up both the sixty years of her reign - and her determination not just to carry on with, but to enjoy today's anniversary to the full.  ITN's Tim Ewart reports on Her Majesty's day ''without Prince Philip by her side."

    Crowds chanting "God save the queen" and a fanfare of trumpets welcomed the British monarch earlier on Tuesday as she arrived at a church service on the fourth and last day of celebrations marking her 60 years on the throne. 

    But, even though she was surrounded by family and greeted by thousands of her subjects, without her husband Prince Philip at her side Queen Elizabeth cut a lonely figure. 

    Philip, who turns 91 on Sunday, was taken to hospital with a bladder infection on Monday as millions of people turned out -- despite the cold and rain -- to honor 86-year-old British monarch. Millions more attended street parties up and down the country.

    The queen's husband was expected to be visited in hospital by his youngest son, Prince Edward, Tuesday. He will be kept under observation for a few days in a move the palace said was "precautionary," but his illness took some of the gloss off what is widely seen as a triumphant jubilee that has cemented the queen's popularity in Britain. 

    Thousands have traveled to London's Duke of York Steps and Trafalgar Square, hoping to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II during her royal procession. NBC's Al Roker and Stephanie Gosk report.

    ITV News: The queen's lunch menu in full

    Tuesday's events began with the queen, who is head of state of 16 countries, attending a thanksgiving service in her honor at London's St Paul's Cathedral along with senior members of the royal family. Prayers were said for Philip at the service.

    The spiritual leader of the Anglican church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, delivered a sermon while Prime Minister David Cameron gave a reading to pay tribute to the queen who came to the throne aged 25 in 1952. 

    Slideshow: Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

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    Her Majesty celebrates 60 years on the throne.

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    Afterwards the royals attended receptions at two of the City of London's grandest buildings, Mansion House and the Guildhall, before a diamond jubilee lunch at Westminster Hall, the oldest part of the Houses of Parliament. 

    Video: Historic St. Paul’s Cathedral prepares for Jubilee

    The queen then led a carriage procession back to Buckingham Palace in a 1902 State Landau as military bands played and a 60-gun salute was fired. Charles' two sons Prince Harry and Prince William with his wife Kate followed behind in royal carriages. 

    Thousands of people wait to watch the Queen address the public from the balcony of Buckingham Palace. TODAY broadcasts live from London.

    The celebrations ended with the royal family making an appearance on the balcony of the palace, with a fly-past by modern and former Royal Air Force aircraft. 

    A gloomy, gray - and great - day for the UK

    Tuesday's pageantry followed spectacular events pitched to the queen's younger subjects, and others that evoked the queen's royal predecessors.  

    On Sunday, a million people gathered for a 1,000-vessel pageant on the River Thames and hundreds of thousands more packed the wide, red road leading to Buckingham Palace on Monday for a concert. 

    Diamond Jubilee: From ska to pop, stars rock Buckingham Palace

    In a tribute to his mother delivered from the concert stage late on Monday, Charles sought to sum up public affection for a monarch who is a symbol of stability at a time of economic gloom and political disillusionment. 

    "As a nation this is our opportunity to thank you and my father for always being there for us, for inspiring us with your selfless duty and service and for making us proud to be British, proud at a time when I know how many of our fellow countrymen are suffering such hardship and difficulties," he said.

    While the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II aired on black-and-white TV sets around the globe, TODAY looks back at her legendary ceremony – with a splash of color. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

    The crowd responded with a roar and chants of "Philip." Prince Charles' speech was followed by the national anthem and a spectacular fireworks display in front of the sumptuous 775-room palace as it was illuminated with a giant Union Jack flag. 

    'I'm Still Standing'
    At the concert on Monday night, Elton John sang "I'm Still Standing," Stevie Wonder crooned "Isn't She Lovely," and Paul McCartney sent "All My Loving."

    Photos: Britain honors Queen Elizabeth II with Diamond Jubilee

    Despite Philip's illness, many members of the royal family, including Charles, Camilla, and Princes William and Harry sat in a royal box to watch the show, performed on a specially erected stage outside the palace. 

    The queen was cheered as she arrived partway through the show, wearing a gold lame cocktail dress under a dark cape. It was decided before Philip's illness that she would watch only part of the concert. 

    June 7, 1977: England marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne with pomp, circumstance and tradition. NBC's John Chancellor reports.

    The queen is not a noted pop music fan, and appeared to be wearing yellow ear plugs as she observed the concert.

    Some 12,000 contest winners watched the show from an enclosed area, while a huge crowd stretched down the Mall, the wide boulevard leading up to the palace.

    Performers also included Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey and younger artists including JLS and Kylie Minogue

    NBC News' Michele Neubert, Msnbc.com's F. Brinley Bruton, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Diamond Jubilee: From ska to pop, stars rock Buckingham Palace

    Slideshow: Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee

    Joel Ryan / AP

    Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years on the throne with veteran rockstars and huge crowds.

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    By msnbc.com and news services

    Updated at 6:45 p.m. ET: LONDON - Elton John sang "I'm Still Standing," Stevie Wonder crooned "Isn't She Lovely," and Paul McCartney sent "All My Loving" as musical royalty celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's 60-year reign with a concert outside Buckingham Palace on Monday. But the joy was tempered by news that the queen's husband, Prince Philip, had been hospitalized with a bladder infection.

    About 12,000 contest winners watched the live performances as part of four days of nationwide celebrations for the Diamond Jubilee marking the queen's 60 years on the throne. Members of the royal family, including Charles, his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Princes William and Harry sat in a royal box to watch the show. The queen wore a gold lame cocktail dress under a dark cape. 

    The first of more than four thousand beacons have been lit as the global celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee were stepped up. The Queen will light the final beacon from the concert stage at Buckingham Palace where Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue and a host of other stars will perform in her honor. Forecasters say the weather should be kinder after yesterday's downpours. ITN's Damon Green reports. 

    Monday’s concert also featured Ska band Madness singing 1980s hit "Our House" from the roof of the 775-room palace. The band changed the lyrics to use proper English: "Our house, in the middle of one's street."

    It's official: Twitter kills the Queen's English

    The veteran entertainers seemed most popular. The crowd roared along to Cliff Richard's, "Congratulations," and cheered Bassey singing — fittingly — "Diamonds are Forever." Prince Harry could be seen singing along — "Why, why why?" — as Tom Jones belted out "Delilah," while Prince William and his wife Kate joined in on John's "Crocodile Rock."

    McCartney closed the concert playing "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" on a Union Jack guitar before the queen took the stage with her family.

    Palace officials said the prince, who will turn 91 on Saturday, was taken to the King Edward VII Hospital in London from Windsor Castle on Monday as a precaution and will remain under observation for a few days.

    As the Diamond Jubilee show ended, Prince Charles took the stage and encouraged concertgoers to make some noise for his father. The crowd responded with a roar and chants of "Philip."

    The heir to the throne paid tribute to his mother, addressing her as "Your Majesty — Mummy" and leading the crowd in three cheers for the monarch.

    Did the queen enjoy the music? Her musical tastes are a mystery, and she appeared to be wearing yellow ear plugs as she observed the concert, according to The Associated Press. According to The Guardian newspaper, the only song the queen has ever been known to request is "Some Enchanted Evening" from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific."

    Despite the dreary weather, organizers said more than one million people gathered on the banks of the Thames to watch the 86-year-old monarch glide past in a barge decorated with flowers, with her closest family at her side.

    In the flotilla were kayaks, rowboats, barges and the Motor Torpedo Boat 102 on which the Allied Forces commander, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspected warships before the 1944 D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France. 

    Peter Jeary, NBC News

    Despite heavy rain, spectators lined up from dawn on Sunday to get the best view of the River Thames flotilla.

    A gloomy, gray - and great - day for the UK

    All were decorated with flags and banners, making a colorful spectacle harking back to Tudor times when river pageants regularly took place for royal festivities.

    Six participants in the pageant were treated in hospitals for exposure to the cold and wet, and medics attended to about 40 spectators along the river.

    Slideshow: Britain honors Queen Elizabeth II with Diamond Jubilee

    Her Royal Highness celebrates 60 years on the throne.

    Launch slideshow

    After the concert, a network of 4,000 beacons were lit across the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, leading into Tuesday, the final day of the extended holiday weekend.

    The small Pacific island nation of Tonga claimed the honor of lighting the first beacons. Another was scheduled to be lit in Kenya at the Treetops Hotel, where Elizabeth was informed of her father's death in 1952, making her the queen.

    While more than a century separates festivities marking Queen Elizabeth II's 60 years on the throne from those honoring her predecessor Queen Victoria, surprising similarities connect the commemorations. NBC News' Jim Maceda reports.

    The jubilee celebrations will conclude on Tuesday with a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, a carriage procession along the Mall avenue, a fly past and farewell wave from the royal family to crowds gathered in front of Buckingham Palace – events that will be covered live on a special edition of NBC’s TODAY.

    Secret donors, foreign firms bankroll UK’s Diamond Jubilee celebration

    The jubilee event have underlined broad support for the queen in Britain, where she is riding high in opinion polls and is seen as a symbol of service, stability and national unity.

    The displays of pomp and pageantry also gave a lift to many at a time of economic austerity and spending cuts, and boosted confidence ahead of the summer Olympic Games.

    BBC, via Twitter

    British tabloid newspaper The Sun marked the wet festivities with this headline on Monday.

    Support for the royal family is not universal however, with views ranging from indifference - around two million Britons traveled abroad to benefit from the extra days off - to outright opposition.

    Queen's critics face uphill battle during jubilee

    "Her achievement is just staying alive, doing little and saying less," Graham Smith, head of campaign group Republic, told Reuters on Sunday.

    Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating 60 years on the throne. Watch archival footage from her childhood and ascension to the throne to the present day.

    His group estimates that the royal family, which officially sets taxpayers back between 30 and 40 million pounds a year, in fact costs closer to 200 million pounds when security and travel are included.

    There might be four days of celebrations in Great Britain for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but some Londoners still have to work. NBC's Duncan Golestani finds a quick way to join in the fun.

    Queen Elizabeth is only the second monarch to mark 60 years on the throne, after her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria reached the milestone in 1897. She is also on course to become the longest-serving British sovereign in 2015.

    NBC News, msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • A gloomy, gray - and great - day for the UK

    Celebrating 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.

    By Chris Hampson, NBC News

    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?

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