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| | Tuesday, 4 June, 2002, 11:43 GMT 12:43 UK Jubilee thanks for Queen's reign The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive at St Paul's A service of thanksgiving has been held at St Paul's Cathedral to mark 50 years of the Queen's reign. A congregation of royals, dignitaries and representatives of charities and professions gathered to honour her service to the country. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, paid tribute to the Queen's "steadfastness" and "dedication".
Ahead of them, other members of the Royal Family waved to the crowds from open horse-drawn royal carriages. They included Prince Andrew, Princes William and Harry, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Commodore Timothy Laurence and Peter and Zara Phillips. Riding along behind on horseback were the Princess Royal and the Prince of Wales.
Hundreds of the royal fans lining the route had camped overnight in the Mall to secure a front row place. On the way to the cathedral, the Queen stopped at Temple Bar for the Ceremony of the Sword, in which the Lord Mayor of the City of London offers the monarch a pearl sword which she then returns. The ceremony, which symbolises the prominence of the Sovereign in the City of London, was conducted in silence. During the service Dr Carey told the 2,400-strong congregation: "The range of our continuing celebrations tells us something important.
"They tell us that, unlike so much in the modern world, this relationship, the one between Sovereign and people, has grown stronger and deeper with the passage of time." After the service, the Queen left St Paul's by car to attend a lunch at the Guildhall.
It will also included the world's largest, 5,000-strong, gospel choir and a fly-past. The celebratory mood of Tuesday's pageantry followed a pop concert and fireworks at Buckingham Palace on Monday night. It was watched by more than a million people on giant screens outside the palace and featured some of the world's greatest rock and pop legends, including Sir Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Jones, and Will Young.
On stage Prince Charles paid an affectionate tribute to the Queen he called "mummy" to the delight of the crowds.
He said: "We feel proud of you; proud and grateful for everything you have done for your country and the Commonwealth over 50 extraordinary years, supported unfailingly throughout by my father." Afterwards the Queen lit the last of a chain of 2,000 beacons stretching across the UK and abroad. The police praised the crowds for their good behaviour, with only one arrest on Monday night. Meanwhile New York's Empire State Building will be lit in purple and gold at sunset as a Royal tribute. Nelson Mandela was the last foreigner to receive the honour, shortly after his release from prison. | |
See also:  04 Jun 02 | UK 04 Jun 02 | UK 04 Jun 02 | England 04 Jun 02 | Wales 04 Jun 02 | UK Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top UK stories now: Links to more UK stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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