Meanwhile, the Lord Mayor Michael Oliver, in an ermine-trimmed red robe and holding the ceremonial Pearl Sword, stood at Temple Bar to pay his respects to the first three royal coaches before crossing to the north side of the road to await the Queen. A trumpet fanfare rang out as the monarch arrived minutes later, and the coach stopped to allow the Lord Mayor to lean into the carriage briefly. In a gesture symbolic of her sovereignty, he offered the hilt of the sword to the Queen – she touched it briefly, and he withdrew it once again, as the door closed.
The Lord Mayor’s procession then readied to lead the Queen’s carriage to St Paul’s, as the monarch waited – an extremely unusual occurrence – for the men and horses to align themselves in front of the coach.
At that very moment, the senior members of the royal family arrived at St Paul’s, regiments standing at attention as the Queen’s younger sons and grandchildren entered the church to the sound of bells tolling. The royals gathered by the massive west doors, to await the arrival of the Queen, who was still at Temple Bar.
Impeccably timed, the Queen’s procession left exactly on schedule to more fanfare and deafening cheers from the crowds. Upon arrival at St Paul’s, the Lord Mayor stood on the cathedral’s steps, the national anthem playing as the Queen finally stepped out of the golden carriage, in the exact spot Queen Victoria’s coach stopped for her diamond jubilee in 1897.
Before entering the church, Her Majesty, accompanied by Prince Philip, stopped to turn and wave to her subjects, to the sound of more trumpets announcing her arrival. The monarch, preceded by the Lord Mayor, then greeted the party waiting for her, which included the Archbishop of Canturbury, as organ music and the voices of a choir echoed throughout the cathedral.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
