London, UK
Reuters
Russia may be deeply at odds with Britain over the invasion of Ukraine but that didn’t stop some Russians in Moscow praising Queen Elizabeth II as her Platinum Jubilee celebrations began on Thursday, wishing her good health and lauding her stylish choice of hats.
The Queen along with members of the Royal Family watches the special flypast by Britain’s RAF (Royal Air Force) from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Trooping the Colour parade, as a part of her platinum jubilee celebrations, in London, Britain, on 2nd June. PICTURE: Paul Grover/Pool via Reuters.
QUEEN ELIZABETH GETS JUBILEE GIFT OF A HORSE FROM FRANCE’S MACRON
President Emmanuel Macron has given Queen Elizabeth a horse belonging to the French Republican Guard to mark her jubilee, describing the monarch as the “golden thread” that had bound France and Britain during her 70-year reign.
Macron later paid tribute to the Queen during a flame rekindling ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe monument, where he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier in the presence of Britain’s ambassador to France, Menna Rawlings.
Elizabeth is known for her love of horses. Fabuleu de Maucour, the seven-year-old grey gelding gifted by Macron, escorted the president down the Champs Elysees in Paris last month as part of an official ceremony, Macron’s office said.
Britain kicked off four days of pageantry and parties on Thursday to celebrate Elizabeth’s rule.
Macron paid tribute to the queen for having provided an element of stability amid times of war and profound changes in society.
“You are the golden thread that binds our two countries, the proof of the unwavering friendship between our two countries and our nations,” Macron said.
Macron has been one of the harshest critics of Britain’s decision-making after its vote to leave the European Union, but the president expressed his admiration for a queen who took to the throne less than a decade after World War II ended.
Macron also gifted a thoroughbred to President Xi Jinping when he made a three-day state visit to China in 2018.
– SUDIP KAR-GUPTA, JOHN IRISH, and MICHEL ROSE, Reuters
“She has the image of a cute granny, pretty harmless. Her outfits are really cool. She’s always stylish,” Kseniya, 33, speaking near the Kremlin, told Reuters.
“Hats are her trademark. When I think of her, the first thing that comes to mind is her hats – different colours, with flowers.”
Sporting a dusky dove blue outfit with a matching hat, a beaming Queen Elizabeth waved to cheering crowds massed outside Buckingham Palace on Thursday as Britain kicked off four days of pageantry and parties to celebrate her 70 years on the throne.
Russians often call Elizabeth “Baba Liza”, a familiar form of grandmother and Elizabeth that translates into English as “Granny Liz”.
Snezhana, a 22-year-old student, said the queen had already earned the right to retire from official duties.
“She looks very cool. She is a symbol,” she said. “I respect her for everything she has achieved.”
“On the other hand, I think that they should give the old granny a rest. They still want the poor lady to appear in public,” said Snezhana.
The 96-year-old British queen has been on the throne for longer than any of her predecessors.
In central Moscow, even an impersonator of Soviet leader Josef Stalin had a kind word for Elizabeth, albeit laced with a sting.
“Comrade Stalin respects that kind of age – 96 years!” he told Reuters.
“As for kings and queens, you know Comrade Stalin’s attitude to them. Kings and queens are an anachronism. There’s one answer: it’s not modern.”
Asked on Thursday if Russian President Vladimir Putin would congratulate the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the celebrations had only just started and that an official comment would come in due course.
