Crowns. Cakes. And corgis, in crowns, with cakes. It's a celebration fit for a queen.
CANADIAN PERSON: We are participating in the celebration of the Queen's 70th anniversary for her being on the throne. Her Jubilee. And Rosie said we had to come.
Yes, people and animals, around the United Kingdom and the world came out to celebrate Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee, or 'Platty Joobs' if you prefer.
BRITISH PERSON: Well, we thought everybody was wearing fancy dress. We thought a sort of monarchy theme would be a good idea.
BRITISH PERSON: I'm a medieval princess from the Middle Ages.
BRITISH PERSON: I'm Jane Seymour. Daddy, I'm your wife.
BRITISH PERSON: We didn't think this though.
In the UK, there was a four day long weekend. And lots of celebrations, including a big concert. The 70 year milestone makes Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, the longest reigning British monarch in history.
BRITISH PERSON: So, I live close by, but I've never actually seen the Queen before, so this is an opportunity I thought, I would come.
BRITISH PERSON: It's a big event, isn't it? I mean no one's gonna reign for that long again.
And here she is. On the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Oh, hang on. This is the Lego version. Here she is. The Queen is 96 years old, and she's seen a few jubilees in her time. After the first 25 years, they're celebrated mostly every ten years. But this one was obviously extra special. The Queen even had tea with another famous British icon just for the occasion.
PADDINGTON BEAR: Perhaps you would like a marmalade sandwich? I always keep one for emergencies.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: So, do I. I keep mine in here.
PADDINGTON BEAR: Oh.
So, how did the Queen become Queen? Well, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born into the British royal family in 1926. And is the eldest of two sisters. She didn't actually think she'd ever sit on the throne, because her uncle was next in line. But in 1936, King Edward the 8th famously abdicated or gave up the throne. Making Elizabeth's dad the King instead. And when he died in 1952, Elizabeth became Queen at a pretty young age.
Officially, the Queen is the ruler of the United Kingdom and its territories and is Head of State in all commonwealth countries, including Australia. But in reality, that doesn't mean she gets to tell everyone what to do. Not when those countries are constitutional monarchies. That means you have an elected government that makes big decisions on behalf of the people. So, while the Queen stays out of politics, she's still considered a leader, and she and her kids and grandkids carry out about 2,000 official engagements a year in the UK and overseas. Of course, not everyone thinks the British monarchy should still have a place in modern society.
BRITISH PERSON: I don't really know that they do much to be honest.
JOURNALIST: Do you want to keep them around in the decades to come?
BRITISH PERSON: No, they can go.
But others are happy to celebrate this history making moment. You might've even seen Aussie monuments lit up in royal purple, just for the occasion. And now since she is the Queen, we should probably let her have the last word. Hmm, well said.