Queen lights beacon but will miss service after 'discomfort'

1. The Queen will not attend the National Service of Thanksgiving on Friday after experiencing 'discomfort' on Thursday
2. Her Majesty still participated in the beacon lighting event on Thursday evening
3. More than 3,500 beacons are being lit across the UK and in the capital cities of Commonwealth countries
4. The Queen came to the throne 70 years ago and is Britain's longest-reigning monarch
5. Earlier she appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace as huge crowds celebrated her Platinum Jubilee
6. The celebrations are spread over four days of events, and began with Trooping the Colour earlier today
7. Prince Harry and Meghan kept a low profile, but watched from a building overlooking the parade ground, close to Buckingham Palace
8. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, has tested positive for Covid

Thanks for joining us

PA Media

And that is it for our live coverage of the first day of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

We'll be back tomorrow morning to bring you news from the second day of celebrations.

That will include the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral - which we now know the Queen will not be attending.

Today's coverage has been put together by Kevin Ponniah, Emma Owen, George Bowden, Rebecca Seales, Owen Amos, Sam Hancock, Megan Fisher, Jo Couzens, Victoria Lindrea and Doug Faulkner.

Thanks for reading and we hope you join us again tomorrow.

Watch: Queen walks to globe and starts beacon lighting ceremony

Moment the Queen begins beacon lighting ceremony

And a few more...

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There were fireworks and five beacons lit at Hadrian's Wall...

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...the National Space Centre in Leicester was lit purple...

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... and a beacon was lit in Ballymena, Northern Ireland

More beacons across the country - and overseas

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A beacon is lit at the Neasden Hindu Temple in London

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While the village of Bembridge on the Isle of Wight came together to light their beacon

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Here is Glastonbury village's beacon in Somerset...

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...while in the South Atlantic came this impressive effort in the Falkland Islands

Beacons lit across the country

Beacons are alight across the country to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee...

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They include this one at Saltcoats on the North Ayrshire coast in Scotland

PA Media

While a woman held a torch at the ceremony at the Queen's Sandringham Estate in Norfolk

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And this flaming beacon is outside the Liver Building in Liverpool

Beacon lit at Edinburgh Castle

As we reported earlier, more than 3,500 beacons are being lit across the UK and Commonwealth to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

After the Queen began the ceremony at Windsor, the lightings began - including at Edinburgh Castle...

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A symbolic ceremony lighting up the country

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A trail of lights led to the Tree of Trees

The lighting ceremony saw a symbolic trail of lights pass from Windsor Castle to Buckingham Palace where the Tree of Trees beacon - representing the million trees planted in the Queen's Jubilee year - stands.

While the Queen began the chain at Windsor, her grandson Prince William was on hand at her official residence to represent her.

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The Duke of Cambridge represented the Queen at Buckingham Palace

Gregory Porter then led the London Community Gospel Choir in a performance of the specially composed song A Life Lived with Grace.

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Gregory Porter performing with the London Community Gospel Choir

Tree of Trees lit at Buckingham Palace

As the Duke of Cambridge watches on, the Tree of Trees has lit up at Buckingham Palace.

Singer Gregory Porter is now leading a choir in a song written for the Jubilee.

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BreakingQueen begins beacon lighting ceremony

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Following a short bugle call the Queen has touched the Commonwealth of Nations Globe to begin the beacon lighting ceremony.

The monarch is taking part in the ceremony despite cancelling her planned attendance at the thanksgiving service on Friday after experiencing "discomfort" during today's parade and flypast.

What's the Queen's agenda for the rest of the weekend?

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The Queen had been scheduled to visit Epsom Downs for the Derby on Saturday

Friday's National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral was the main event in the Queen's diary for tomorrow, but the monarch has other scheduled events over the extended Jubilee weekend.

On Saturday the 96-year-old had been due to visit Epsom Downs for the Derby, along with other members of the Royal Family, but it was reported this week she is no longer planning to attend.

The Queen is known for her love of horseracing and attended the Royal Windsor Horse Show last month, a few days after missing the State Opening of Parliament.

Later on Saturday evening, it is planned for the monarch to watch the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace concert on television from Windsor.

On Sunday the finale of the weekend will see the Jubilee pageant finish at Buckingham Palace with Ed Sheeran joining a choir in singing the national anthem. It is hoped the Queen will be able to watch from the palace balcony.

Cancellations and surprise visits

PA Media

As we've been reporting, the cancellation of the Queen's appearance at Friday's thanksgiving service is not the first time she has missed a scheduled event.

But she has also made some surprise appearances recently.

On 17 May, she made an unexpected visit to Paddington Station with her youngest son, Prince Edward, to see the completed Elizabeth line.

It was her first visit outside of the Windsor area since she attended the Duke of Edinburgh's memorial service in Westminster Abbey seven weeks earlier.

And before the Queen's visit to the new railway line, named in her honour, she made a trip to the Royal Windsor Horse Show and was the guest of honour at the A Gallop Through History.

The equestrian extravaganza was the first major event of the Jubilee festivities.

Watch: God Save the Queen played at Arc de Triomphe in Paris

'God save the Queen' played at Paris Jubilee celebrations

It's not just the UK and Commonwealth countries that have marked the Platinum Jubilee.

In Paris, God Save the Queen - the UK national anthem - was played at a ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe.

And, as the UK gears up for the lighting of beacons, French President Emmanuel Macron revived the flame under the arch to mark the Jubilee.

In around an hour's time, the Queen will be in Windsor to lead the lighting of the principal Jubilee beacon in a special dual ceremony with her grandson William, who will light the main beacon at Buckingham Palace.

EPA

The symbolism of the beacons

In just over an hour, the Queen will "symbolically" set off the lighting of more than 3,500 beacons across the UK and Commonwealth.

The UK has a long tradition of celebrating royal jubilees, weddings and coronations with the lighting of beacons.

Chains of beacons were historically used for long-distance communication – and today are used to symbolise solidarity between places.

Beacons were lit in 1977, 2002 and 2012 to mark the Queen's Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees - and in 2016 for Her Majesty’s 90th birthday.

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Pictured in 2016: The Queen lit a beacon during a ceremony to celebrate her 90th birthday

Service would have been a 'highest priority'

Sean Coughlan

BBC News, royal correspondent

The Queen will have pulled out of the thanksgiving service only with very great regret.

She has a deep religious faith and the service at St Paul’s Cathedral would have been one of her highest priorities for the weekend.

It was thought that she was more committed to attending the service than many of the weekend’s other events.

But today’s exertions have left her suffering from discomfort, with a recurrence of the mobility problems that have caused her to cancel events before.

Now it seems the journey to St Paul’s, a procession, and the length of the church service have become too difficult.

It’s at short notice, with the programme for the church service already printed. So it will leave a real sense of loss to have the Queen, the focal point of the service, no longer attending.

Her Majesty's health in the spotlight again

As we've just reported, the Queen will not attend a thanksgiving service at St Paul's on Friday, after experiencing "discomfort" during Jubilee celebrations on Thursday.

It's not yet clear whether it will impact more widely on the four-day schedule of Jubilee events.

But it's not the first time in recent weeks that the Queen, who is 96, has had to miss engagements because of health problems.

• In May, she missed the State Opening of Parliament because of "episodic mobility problems"
• Earlier that month, it was also announced she would miss this summer's garden parties
• In February, she caught Covid - which she later said left her feeling "very tired and exhausted"

Queen will still join tonight's beacon lighting event

Getty Images

We've just heard that the Queen will not be attending the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, after experiencing "discomfort" during Thursday's celebrations.

However, Buckingham Palace said she would still take part in the beacon lighting ceremony planned for Thursday evening.

This is the next major event in the Jubilee calendar, and will see more than 3,500 fires lit across the UK and in the capitals of the 54 Commonwealth countries.

It's a dual ceremony involving the Queen and her grandson Prince William. The prince will be at Buckingham Palace, where the main beacon - the "Tree of Trees" - stands.

It will be lit when the Queen symbolically touches the "Commonwealth of Nations Globe" - a blue art piece - 22 miles away at Windsor Castle.

Beacons will be lit at sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hadrian's Wall and on top of the UK's four highest peaks.

The lighting of the beacons will be taking place at around 21:45 BST in the UK, although some internationally are being lit at 21:15.

BreakingQueen to miss Friday events after 'discomfort'

We've just had this from Buckingham Palace:

The Queen greatly enjoyed today’s birthday parade and flypast but did experience some discomfort. Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend. The Queen is looking forward to participating in tonight’s beacon lighting event at Windsor Castle and would like to thank all those who made today such a memorable occasion."

WATCH: Royals gaze at sky as RAF planes roar

Earlier on, members of the Royal Family took to the Buckingham Palace balcony to observe a spectacular military flypast.

Planes spelling out a "70" - to represent the Queen's seven decades on the throne - flew over their heads as the Trooping the Colour parade came to the end.

That was followed by the Red Arrows, filling the sky with blue, white and red.

Royals watch RAF flypast

Andrew's positive test avoids awkward questions

Sean Coughlan

BBC News, royal correspondent

Prince Andrew won’t be able to attend the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s on Friday because he has tested positive for Covid.

Let’s be honest, this is not inconvenient news for Buckingham Palace.

It means Andrew was invited, but won’t be able to be there - it also removes any anxiety about adverse headlines had he attended.

There may have been awkward questions about where he was sitting and worries about reactions from the crowds.

There is nothing to indicate he has any severe symptoms - the infection, we're told, was picked up by a routine test - and this way Prince Andrew stands aside and the focus will stay on the Queen.

Australia lights up to celebrate head of state

The Queen is the head of state in Australia, and iconic buildings there are being illuminated to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

More than 80 buildings and monuments around the country will be illuminated in royal purple to mark the celebrations between 2 and 5 June, the Australian government announced on its website.

In Canberra, the Australian war memorial was bathed in light.

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The Australian capital's Old Parliament House, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and the Federal Parliament House also got the royal light treatment.

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Old Parliament House and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy

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Federal Parliament House