Prince Charles gave a warm, emotional
and often witty speech in praise of his mother at the close of the
Diamond Jubilee Concert.
Just
his opening word – ‘Mummy’ – earned him rapturous cheers from the crowd
as the Queen, dressed in a gold lame gown dotted with crystals, looked
on plainly delighted.
The
pair, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, had minutes earlier made
their way down to the stage encircling the Queen Victoria Memorial, to a
standing ovation. Celebrities including Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole
jostled to stand as close to the royal party as possible.
The prince gently warmed his audience up by making a joke about the terrible weather for Sunday’s river pageant.
‘If I may say so, thank God it turned out fine!’ he said.
Prince Charles paid a tribute to 'Mummy'
onstage at Buckingham Palace after a momentous concert featuring some of
the world's leading musicians - such as Paul McCartney, Sir Tom Jones
and Elton John - in the background
Gary Barlow of Take That, who organised the
concert, shares a word with Her Majesty as Shirley Bassey, right, and
Cheryl Cole, far left, lead the applause
Loving: The Queen shakes the hand of her son Prince Charles at the end of the Jubilee Concert
Touching: Prince Charles takes the Queen's hand following the concert
Thrilled: Prince Charles kisses the Queen's hand much to her delight
He also made a poignant reference to the Duke of Edinburgh who was in hospital, just a few miles away.
‘The only sad thing about tonight is that my father cannot be here with us because, unfortunately, he’s been taken unwell.’
And he added to tumultuous applause: ‘If we shout loud enough he might just be able to hear us in hospital.’
Eyes lit up: Queen Elizabeth smiles as the
Jubilee crystal is brought onto the stage during her Diamond Jubilee
concert in front of Buckingham Palace
Turning to his mother, he paid tribute
to ‘the life and service of a very special person’ (although he
appeared to make a mistake when he referred to her being 26 when she
acceeded to the throne. In fact she was 25.)
Charles told the Queen: ‘A Diamond
Jubilee is a unique and special event, some of us have had the joy of
celebrating three jubilees with you, and I have the medals to prove it.
‘And we're now celebrating the life and service of a very special person, over the last 60 years.
‘I was three when my grandfather
George VI died and suddenly, unexpectedly, you and my father's lives
were irrevocably changed when you were only 26.
‘So 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.’
At this point there were huge cheers
from the crowds and many members of the Royal Family applauded,
including the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
The prince went to say how proud the
jubilee celebrations had made the country at a time when so many were
suffering from ‘hardship and difficulty’ and paid tribute to the members
of the public lining the banks of the Thames on Sunday in the wind and
the rain.
As he drew to a close, he led the
audience in giving three cheers for the Queen, before kissing her hand
affectionately and adding: ‘So Your Majesty we offer you our humble duty
and with it three resounding cheers for our Majesty The Queen!’
Sir Paul McCartney, who was closing
the concert with three songs, wished the Duke well, saying: 'We all send
our best wishes for a speedy recovery. I hear he's not too bad.'
Take That star Robbie Williams opened the show by belting out one of his biggest hits, the aptly-named Let Me Entertain You.
Explosion: Fireworks over Buckingham Palace mark the end of The Diamond Jubilee Concert
Blazing glory: Crowds stand in The Mall as they watch fireworks rain down above the The Diamond Jubilee Concert stage
Red, white and very blue: The epic finale to the concert lit up the sky
Dazzling display: An incredible scene as orange fireworks clash beautifully with the purple of the stage
Union Flags line the Mall as thousands of dancing fans gear up for the big climax to the show
Performers from the present generation also appeared on stage - Will.i.am Jessie J, JLS and Ed Sheeran.
But
it was the veterans Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Tom Jones who got the
crowds on their feet with renditions of classic songs from their
repertoire.
Organisers said days before the concert that the Queen would take her seat at around 9pm.
She arrived wearing a stunning cocktail dress of gold lame designed by Angela Kelly under a dark cape.
The dress had sweeping trimmings of antique gold lace and deep olive, and was adorned with Swarovski crystals.
Gary Barlow had said he was
performing with a very special guest and Cheryl Cole certainly didn't
disappoint in the style stakes as she stepped out on stage at the
Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert tonight.
The
28-year-old looked effortlessly elegant in a strapless black gown by
Polish designer Ewa Minge, which boasted a bodice covered in sequins, a
velvet trim and ended with a dramatic layered white and black fishtail.
Stunning: Buckingham Palace is illuminated with projected flowers as Sir Paul McCartney plays at the concert
Spectacular: Fireworks mark the end of The Diamond Jubilee Concert
Incredible: The Mall is completely lit-up by this explosive fireworks display which delighted the thousands of spectators
Bright: Rarely has Buckingham Palace looked as spectacular as this
SEAT NEXT TO THE QUEEN IN THE ROYAL BOX LEFT EMPTY AFTER PRINCE PHILIP WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL
They were the best seats in the house for last night’s Diamond Jubilee concert – but poignantly, one remained empty.
While
the Queen took her place in the royal box half way through the
performance, the seat next to her, which would have been for Prince
Philip, went unfilled after he was taken to hospital.
The
Queen, in the front row, was wearing a stunning dress of gold lame
designed by her dresser Angela Kelly under a dark cape that she has worn
for a number of official portraits.
Welcomed: The Queen takes her seat as she arrives in the royal box during the spectacular concert
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