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Platinum Jubilee: What happened on the first day?

Airplanes fly in the formation of a 70 with UK flags lining the street below and crowds looking up to the skyGetty Images

Yesterday marked the start of a long weekend of celebrations for the Queen's 70th year on the throne! To mark the occasion, planes flew together to make the shape of the number 70 in the sky above crowds celebrating outside Buckingham Palace.

the royal family smile while watching the celebrations around themGetty Images

Queen Elizabeth, the UK's longest-reigning monarch, stands on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with her grandson the Duke of Cambridge and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge. Their three children George, Charlotte and Louis also enjoyed the flypast from the balcony - all part of the annual Trooping the Colour celebrations.

prince charles salutes troops while riding a horseGetty Images

Trooping the Colour is an event that happens ever year to mark the Queen's official birthday. 1400 soldiers parade through London to Buckingham Palace, and a 41-gun salute is fired in Green Park. In the past the Queen would ride with the troops, but for her 70th year on the throne her eldest son Charles, the Prince of Wales, took her place. This ceremony has been performed by regiments of the British Army since the mid-17th century.

a group of nine planes fly in an arrow formation with red white and blue smoke trailing behind on a sunny dayGetty Images

A famous air force called the Red Arrows performed a flypast with dyed smoke reflecting the colours of the UK's flag over Trafalgar Square in London.

prince louis covers his ears and opens his mouth wide as he tries to cover the noise of the planes flying pastGetty Images

While the planes were exciting to watch for the crowds below, they were also rather noisy! Prince Louis subtly communicated to onlookers that all the loud noise was not to his liking... And we can't say we blame him!

queen smiling wearing a light purple suit and pearlsGetty Images

However, unlike her great-grandson, the Queen was all smiles and clearly enjoyed her time up on the balcony!

a woman smiles while holding a silver baton while onlookers take picturesGetty Images

Meanwhile, a reminder that the Commonwealth Games are soon to start! Baton bearer Lemona Chanda carried the Queen’s Baton during the Birmingham 2022 Queen's Baton Relay at Battersea Power Station to mark the major sports competition which starts in July.

a canon fires bright orange across the river thames with tower bridge in the backgroundGetty Images

Elsewhere in London, the 124 Gun Salute at the Tower of London took place as part of the Queen's Birthday Parade.

the queen stands in a courtyard of windsor palace with guards standing by as she lights a beaconGetty Images

Later in the day, the Queen arrived at Windsor Castle to light the first of a thousand beacons that were spread around towns and villages across the country. Tributes to the Queen were seen in 54 Commonwealth countries, across five different continents.

brightly coloured fireworks light up the sky as a firey beacon floats across a lakeGetty Images

As the beacon was lit at Cawfield Quarry near Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, there was an amazing fireworks display.

mural of pictures of the queen across buckingham palaceGetty Images

And at night, pictures of the Queen from throughout her reign were projected across Buckingham Palace.

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