LYRICS
Many Britons say we have a lot to thank HM Queen Elizabeth for. This week certainly most of her subjects are thankful for a two-day holiday in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. A weekend of feasting, pageantry and water on Sunday is followed by an evening of song, celebration and fire on Monday. Sunday Lunch is a great British tradition and The Big Jubilee Lunch aimed to re-kindle a sense of community with people all over the UK sharing lunch with neighbours and friends in street parties or picnics to celebrate the Queen's 60-year reign. At these lunches, people have been tucking into some Great British food - pies, roasts, fish and chips, cream teas... even jellied eels. Another highlight of the weekend festivities was The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant with more than 1,000 boats – traditional and modern – escorting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh aboard a specially decorated Royal barge. Red, white and blue – the colours of the Union Jack – adorned bridges and buildings with sounds of church bells and foghorns floating along the River. Monday evening brings music and light to Buckingham Palace. A special pop concert featuring artists including Elton John, Paul McCartney and Ed Sheeran is followed by a spectacular firework display. No doubt it will all go off with a bang. Before the fireworks, more than 4,000 beacons are to be lit in the UK and around the world. The Queen herself lights the UK's last beacon – the National Beacon – at about 22:30 BST. Whilst there are some who protest – surveys suggest around 20% of Britons feel the UK would be better off without a monarchy – most people will see HM Queen Elizabeth as a beacon of hope in an uncertain world and will be raising a glass to the Diamond Queen.