The Queen has pulled out of Friday’s St Paul’s Cathedral service, citing ‘discomfort’

The Queen has with ‘great reluctance’ pulled out of Friday’s Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral, Buckingham Palace announced tonight.

The 96-year-old monarch, who has been suffering with mobility issues, is said to have experienced ‘discomfort’ during today’s events, which kickstarted the four-day celebration to commemorate her 70-year reign.

However the head of state will still make an appearance at tonight’s lighting of the beacons event at Windsor Castle.

The Palace said: ‘The Queen greatly enjoyed today’s Birthday Parade and Flypast but did experience some discomfort.’

In a full statement a spokesperson added: ‘Taking into account the journey and activity required 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.’

The Queen has been forced to cancel a string of engagements in recent months and most recently missed the State Opening of Parliament, symbolically asking her son, Prince Charles, and grandson, Prince William, to stand in.

But royal aides this week insisted that despite what they describe as ‘episodic’ mobility issues, the monarch is in good spirits and very much in charge behind the scenes.

The announcement that the monarch will not attend tomorrow’s service followed a jam-packed first day of the Platinum Jubilee weekend, which will end on Sunday with a special Pageant celebrating the life of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch.

The Queen was joined by other royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony today in front of tens of thousands of cheering Britons amid joyous scenes at Trooping the Colour as her historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations began.

The monarch, who wore her Guards brooch and the blue Angela Kelly outfit used in her official Platinum Jubilee portrait, exclaimed ‘incredible!’ when she took the salute after arriving from Windsor Castle.

The royal has been using a stag horn mobility aid in recent weeks and is often spotted with her late husband Prince Philip‘s walking stick – which is dark wood with a marble handle.

But today, she instead picked a brand new cane, which appeared to have a marble handle and wooden body and which was made by Cumbria-based traditional stick maker Dennis Wall.

General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, chief of the general staff, had presented her with the gift as a symbol of the British Army’s support.

On October 12th last year, Her Majesty was seen using a stick for support in public for the first time in nearly 20 years as she marked the Royal British Legion centenary at Westminster Abbey.

Two days later, she carried a stick as she as she attended the sixth ceremonial opening of the Senedd at the Welsh Parliament building in Cardiff.

Following today’s Trooping the Colour, the Queen then returned to the balcony at Buckingham Palace around half an hour later to watch the RAF flypast featuring the Red Arrows along with senior royals including Prince Charles, Camilla, Prince William and Kate and their children.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not make an appearance on the Palace balcony but were reunited with some of their relatives as they kept a low profile inside a room of the Major General’s Office at the other end of The Mall on Horse Guards Parade, where they watched Charles inspect guardsmen and officers and take their salute.

It comes after months of speculation over where the Sussexes would stand and whether they would even attend the Jubilee amid an ongoing security row. In the end, they were only allowed to watch from the room overlooking the Whitehall parade ground after the Queen declared that only senior working royals could join her at the Palace.

Wearing sunglasses, the Queen looked joyful as she surveyed the patriotic scenes, giving broad smiles while enjoying the six-minute flypast which involved 70 aircraft, including Apache helicopters, Typhoons and the Red Arrows. Fifteen RAF Typhoons paid a special tribute to the Queen’s reign, flying in the formation of the number 70.

While Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all appeared, there was no place on the Palace balcony today for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle or Prince Andrew given that none of them are no longer working royals.

From their Horse Guards Parade balcony, Meghan and Harry were seen putting their finger to their lips next to Savannah Philips, Mia and Lena Tindall in an apparent attempt to quieten the children. The Sussexes also spoke with the Duke of Kent, who joined his cousin the Queen for both of her trips onto the Palace balcony.

On the second trip, Charles stood on the Queen’s right-hand side and the pair could be seen chatting and smiling. Huge cheers of ‘hooray’ erupted outside and as the aircraft approached, the Queen could be seen looking ahead and smiling. Meanwhile, Louis waved towards the sky and rested his chin in his hands.

The Queen could also be seen interacting with Louis, who was standing next to her on the balcony. And the young prince was photographed holding his hands over his ears as the aircraft soared overhead. The monarch smiled throughout the flypast and waved at the crowds before going back into the palace.

When the Queen made her appearance on the balcony there was a delayed reaction from the crowds in The Mall and spectators sat in the stands built for tomorrow’s Party at the Palace. A cheer went up when they spotted her on screens and she smiled as the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment passed the gates of Buckingham Palace. The troopers took around five minutes to ride past as the Queen chatted to the Duke of Kent.

Other Royal Family members had started off the Trooping the Colour festivities earlier today – with the Duchess of Cambridge and her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis waving for excited crowds.

This morning, three carriages carrying Royal Family members left the forecourt of Buckingam Palace and travelled down the Mall. The Duchess of Cornwall rode alongside Kate Middleton and her children in the first carriage.

George, eight, Charlotte, seven, and three-year-old Louis smiled and waved enthusiastically as they sat in a row, known as a barouche, with Louis in the middle of his older siblings.

They were followed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex with children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn; then the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence in the third carriage.

The nation is embracing the special extended four-day bank holiday weekend of pomp, pageantry and star-studded festivities, which will see celebrities and the public gather in their millions in tribute to the monarch.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: ‘Congratulations to Her Majesty The Queen on your remarkable Platinum Jubilee. The whole country, Commonwealth and world thank you for your unwavering duty and service. Vivat Regina Elizabetha! God Save The Queen!’

Meanwhile the Duke of York will now miss tomorrow’s Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Duke of York is understood to have seen his mother the Queen in the last few days but she has tested negative – and he has not seen her since testing positive.

Andrew, 62, was expected to join his royal relatives at the Service of Thanksgiving in London tomorrow despite him no longer being a working member of the family.

But, in a dramatic development just hours before the service, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said this afternoon: ‘After undertaking a routine test The Duke has tested positive for Covid and with regret will no longer be attending tomorrow’s service.’

Andrew was not on the Buckingham Palace balcony today for the Flypast after the Queen limited those appearing alongside her to working members of her family.

Reign of fire! Queen brushes off ‘discomfort’ to light first of 3,500 beacons that span the length and breadth of Britain in tribute to her 70 years on the throne

By Rebecca English Royal Editor for the Daily Mail

The Queen symbolically lit a chain of Platinum Jubilee beacons stretching around the world in her honour tonight in a touching ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Putting her mobility issues to one side, the 96-year-old monarch made a third public appearance of the day to launch more than 3,500 flaming tributes to her 70-year reign by laying her hand on a specially created glittering Commonwealth of Nations globe.

The event formed part of a special dual ceremony with her grandson the Duke of Cambridge, waiting 22 miles away at Buckingham Palace where the beacon centrepiece – a 21-metre living ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture – was subsequently illuminated in lights on the Queen’s command.

The monarch was greeted in the castle Quadrangle with a fanfare by the State Trumpeters at the Sovereign’s Entrance, close to her private apartments, at 9.30pm.

She was accompanied by her private secretary, Sir Edward Younqg, Lady-in-Waiting Lady Susan Hussey and equerry Lt Colonel Tom White of the Royal Marines.

Around 130 members of the Windsor Castle community who had gathered to watch the ceremony greeted the monarch, some waving flags.

The Commonwealth of Nations Globe – a blue globe, which sits inside a silver crown on a blue and gold cushion – was specially created for the Beacons project and was placed on a podium by five Yeoman Warders, led by Chief Yeoman Warder Peter McGowran.

It was created as a symbol representing The Queen’s previous Jubilees and includes elements of silver, gold, diamonds and platinum.

The stones in the Crown signify the coming together of the four nations of the United Kingdom in celebration of the Jubilee and were collected from the top of the four highest peaks – Mount Snowdon, Wales; Ben Nevis, Scotland; Slieve Donard, Northern Ireland, and Scafell Pike, England.

The Queen, wearing a jade green Stuart Pravin crepe coat with a printed silk dress in shades of jade and taupe, walked slowly and slightly gingerly using her by now familiar walking stick.

She sported a special new Platinum Jubilee brooch commissioned by the Goldsmiths’ Company as a gift to Her Majesty The Queen to mark her 70 years of service.

The brooch was inspired by the four nations which make up the UK, which are represented by four diamond swirls and the national flowers: the rose, the thistle, the daffodil and the shamrock.

It also includes the lily of the valley, one of her favourite flowers and used in her Coronation bouquet.

As the sovereign placed her finger on the globe, bright white lights raced along the Quadrangle towards Windsor’s famous Round Tower, before – by the magic of technology – travelling up the Tree of Trees in London.

Large television screens showed her the scene at her official residence where her grandson was representing her and she watched them intently.

Although it was a short ceremony, lasting less than 10 minutes, it was late due to the need for it to be dusk and came at the end of an extremely long and gruelling day for the elderly and increasingly frail monarch.

Afterwards she turned and walked slowly down the red carpet that had been laid across the gravel, extremely carefully, step by step.

When she was on the more even surface of the flagstones she picked up pace, stopping briefly to acknowledge some of the Windsor Castle residents who had come out to see her, who curtseyed and bowed .

Beacons will now be lit throughout the UK and across the Commonwealth, and sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hillsborough Castle and the Queen’s estates of Sandringham and Balmoral, and on top of the UK’s four highest peaks.

The first beacons will be lit in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the central American country of Belize.

The Tree of Trees in London is part of the nationwide Queen’s Green Canopy project to create a ‘living legacy’ to the monarch by encouraging communities to plant thousands of new trees.

Placing the ‘Tree of Trees’ at the heart of the beacon lighting reflects the Royal Family’s long history of championing environmental causes and will pay a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s 70 years of service to the nation.

The Queen was joined by Bruno Peek, who has overseen the Jubilee Beacons celebration.

Speaking before the lighting he said: ‘The main thing for the beacons is recognising Her Majesty the Queen has been a beacon of light for not just the UK and Commonwealth but I personally believe she has been a beacon for the world.

‘She always led from the front and that’s one of the reasons we wanted to make this worldwide by having beacons lit in capital cities of all the Commonwealth countries to recognise the amazing job she has done for 70 years.’

After the beacon lighting Prince William watched as the London Community Gospel Choir and singer Gregory Porter sang the official Beacons song, A Life Lived with Grace, in honour of Her Majesty The Queen.

More than three thousand Beacons will be lit by charities, community and faith groups throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Overseas Territories.

Beacons will also be lit by groups and young leaders throughout all 54 Commonwealth countries including cities, capitals, across five continents, to celebrate The Queen’s service to the people of the Commonwealth.

Prince Louis steals the show! Mischievous young royal takes centre stage as he chats constantly to the Queen on balcony, picks his nose and even barges past Her Majesty

By Maria Chiorando and Jessica Green for MailOnline

Prince Louis took centre stage at today’s London Platinum Jubilee celebrations, stealing the scene with his mischievous antics as he was snapped pulling faces and picking his nose during Trooping the Colour.

Louis, four, who is the youngest of the Cambridge children, was also photographed waving enthusiastically at bystanders earlier in the day, as he joined his siblings Prince George, eight, and Princess Charlotte, seven, in a carriage ride down the Mall to Horse Guards Parade for the Queen’s Birthday Parade.

However, his most attention-grabbing moments came courtesy of the obviously strong bond he shares with his great-grandmother, the Queen, who was seen chatting to the youngster during the flypast, seemingly in an effort to distract him from the loud noise of the aircraft.

And Louis seemed entranced, looking up inquisitively at the monarch, and seeking out her attention. At one point, he even broke away from his mother Kate Middleton, 40, to barge past the Queen, much to the bemusement of the Duchess of Cambridge and Camilla.

According to a lipreader, during the noisy flypast, as Louis was seen trying to squeeze past the Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony, Kate said to Camilla: ‘He really is trying to squeeze by!’

The Queen is affectionately known as ‘Gan Gan’ by the Cambridge children – after Prince George created the adorable nickname for his great-grandmother aged two.

Meanwhile, ensuring they remain close to Her Majesty, the Cambridges’ county home of Anmer Hall in Norfolk is located in the Queen’s Sandringham Estate, while London-based William and Kate ‘will move to Windsor this summer to be closer to the Queen’, it was reported last month.

A body language expert today said Louis and the Queen share a ‘childlike excitement’ and ‘natural bond’ following their ‘chatty and animated’ display together during the balcony appearance.

Judi James told FEMAIL that ‘Louis made this conversation [with the monarch] look like the most natural thing in the world and his lack of anything bordering on fear suggested these two might share a rather close friendship based on shared fun behind the scenes, too.’

As the planes flew overhead during today’s occasion, Kate said to Louis: ‘It’s so cool look at that.’ Meanwhile, speaking to her great grandson, the Queen said: ‘Look up at all that smoke!’, according to lip-reader Juliet Sullivan.

After the flypast, she turned back to the young royal, and added: ‘Let’s go it’s finished now. That really was wonderful, so incredible.’

The young royal’s performance did not go unnoticed, with people taking to social media in their droves to brand Louis a ‘mood’, and create memes featuring images from the day.

Louis’ attention-grabbing actions on the balcony followed his eventful ride down The Mall earlier that morning.

He’d travelled to the Palace in a horse-drawn carriage with his mother mother Kate Middleton, 40, the Duchess of Cornwall, 74 as well as his siblings George and Charlotte.

Video footage of the journey appears to show Charlotte ticking off her younger brother for waving too much at the assembled crowds.

A clip of the children shows the seven-year-old princess asking Prince Louis to ‘stop waving!’ as they made their journey through the crowds.

This prompted a minor squabble between the youngest two royals in the carriage, while their elder brother Prince George looks on.

However, despite being told off by his sister, Louis continued to wave animatedly at bystanders, though all three children were snapped showing respect for their great grandmother.

The Cambridge children dutifully bowed their heads when the national anthem was played on their arrival into Horse Guards Parade.

Louis was the spitting image of his father Prince William at Trooping the Colour; the four-year-old son of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked adorable in a white sailor suit that is identical to one worn by a two-year-old Prince William to the same event in 1985.

Some royal watchers have suggested it could even be the same suit, perfectly preserved for almost 40 years. The Royal Family are known for their love of recycling and handing down clothing, so there is every chance it could be the same.

Eight-year-old Prince George, the future king, was given a more grown-up outfit, wearing a smart navy suit with a shirt and blue tie.

Meanwhile Princess Charlotte wore a pretty periwinkle blue dress with floaty capped sleeves, adding a matching bow in her hair.

At one point when Louis was watching Trooping the Colour with his siblings and cousins he even mimicked his father by pointing out something – just as William did with his cousin Zara in 1985.

The Queen was spotted travelling from Windsor Castle by car for today’s event, while other members of the Firm made public appearances in horse-drawn carriages, with three leaving the forecourt of Buckingham Palace carrying members of the Royal Family down The Mall this morning.

The first carriage took the Cambridge children, as well as Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Cornwall.

They were followed by the Earl and Countess of Wessex with children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn; then the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence in the third carriage.

The royals, including the Wessexes, watched Trooping the Colour from the Major General’s Office overlooking the Whitehall parade ground.

Among their number were Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex, who have travelled to the UK with their children Archie, three, and Lilibet, who turns one on Saturday.

The Duchess stepped out in an elegant navy blue dress and a dramatic wide-brimmed white hat with an oversized navy bow by British milliner Stephen Jones.

The mother-of-two was spotted entertaining Peter Phillips’ daughters Savannah, 11, and Isla, 10, and Mike and Zara Tindall’s girls Mia, eight, and Lena, three, as they grew bored of watching the military display.

Meghan pouted, gasped and beamed as she put on an animated display in the window, with Princess Beatrice’s husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi watching from behind. At one point the Duchess put a finger to her mouth to ‘shush’ cheeky Mia Tindall, who was on typically boisterous behaviour.

Prince Charles, Prince William and Princess Anne rode on horses during the traditional carriage procession which left Buckingham Palace ahead of Trooping the Colour, also known as the Birthday Parade, at the start of festivities.

Charles took the salute as the Colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards was trooped and inspected the Troops of the Household Division on the monarch’s behalf.

Prince Andrew has been entirely cut out of proceedings and will not appear during any part of the day.

Following Trooping the Colour, the royal carriages made the return journey down the Mall in preparation of the flypast.

The Queen, 96, exclaimed ‘incredible!’ as she stepped out onto the Buckingham Palace balcony to take the return salute.

She was joined on the balcony by her dutiful cousin, the Duke of Kent, who carries out engagements on behalf of the Royal Family.

After a brief interlude inside, the Queen re-emerged at 1pm to observe the flypast.

In order to avoid any awkwardness surrounding the presence of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew, the Queen decreed that only working members of the Royal Family would join her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the flypast.

The balcony appearance, which is often seen as the centrepiece of major royal occasions, including Trooping the Colour and weddings, previously saw the Queen’s extended family gather to watch a flypast and is a rare chance for fans to see the entire extended family together.

In 2019, there were 40 members of the family present, including her grandchildren and their families, as well as more distant relatives like her cousins’ children.

But this year just 17 members of her family were present: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, The Princess Royal and Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

The Royal Family have now finished this portion of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, although they will make other appearances over the course of the next four days.

It is a particularly significant trip for the Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan has not seen any of the family since she and her husband acrimoniously quit as working royals and moved to North America in early 2020, while Prince Harry only saw them very briefly at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral last year.

The last public occasion the Sussexes attended together in the UK was the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March 2020 when the atmosphere could not have been more awkward.

William and Kate virtually blanked Harry and Meghan that day, leaving Prince Edward and Sophie to try to keep the peace.

Fortunately William, who has been most deeply affected by his brother’s actions and has struggled to hide his hurt, was not forced to greet the couple in public.

And Kate proved to be an admirable peacemaker when she made a point of breaking the ice and speaking to Harry after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.

Harry and Meghan are staying with their children at their Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage. They had always been expected to join the congregation for tomorrow’s service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s 70-year reign at St Paul’s Cathedral, but their participation with Trooping is seen as an additional olive branch from Her Majesty.

Yesterday, the Queen sent a car and a security detail to collect Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet after their private jet landed in the UK from California, ahead of her celebrations.

Lilibet has never been in the UK – or met any of her British family – while Archie, who was born in Britain, has not been here since he was a baby.

In the latest sign that hostilities between The Firm and the Sussexes are thawing, Her Majesty’s Land Rover greeted the family and their children at Farnborough Airport in Hampshire before taking them to Frogmore Cottage.

An insider told The Sun that ‘the Queen believed it was the right thing to do’ to send her car to meet her grandson and his family.

The couple’s Embraer private jet landing at Farnborough, and the Queen’s black Land Rover – escorted by a Volkswagen people carrier – driving onto the tarmac.

It is thought the family were believed to have got into the blacked-out VW car, and that they travelled without their customary entourage or senior staff working for their Archewell charity.

It also said Netflix camera crews – who have been following the couple for an £11million documentary – stayed behind.

Harry, Meghan and their two children were not given a police escort for the 40-minutes drive from Farnborough to Windsor.

Lilibet will turn one on Saturday, with a party expected at Frogmore likely to be attended by royals such as Princess Eugenie, who is close to Harry and Meghan, and the Queen could also pop in if she doesn’t attend the Epsom Derby.

It will be the first time the monarch will meet the great-granddaughter named after her.

But Prince William and Kate will not be there because they will be representing Her Majesty in Cardiff as senior working royals are sent to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to mark the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.

The Queen’s Birthday Parade at Horse Guards in London was the first official Platinum Jubilee event of the bank holiday weekend.

The event drew huge crowds, with thousands of people draped in Union Jack flags, party hats and plastic tiaras lined The Mall in the warm sunshine today.

Some of those at the front brought camping chairs, having arrived over the past few days to get the best spot, and spirits were high as members of the public chatted and joked with police maintaining the perimeter.

However, police then swooped on four intruders who tried to smash through security on The Mall. Two of the protesters – who were from Animal Rebellion – were able to sit in the middle of the road as the marching band approached.

Officers hauled them out of the way as the musicians walked by them, avoiding them completely.

The Irish Guards were among the first to arrive at a march at Horse Guards Parade this morning in front of the sitting crowds in the bright sunshine, led by their mascot, an Irish Wolfhound called Seamus.

And as huge crowds descended on the capital to witness the historic weekend, police and park authorities said the areas were full.

The Metropolitan Police said: ‘The viewing areas in central London for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations are now full.

‘To avoid the disappointment of not being able to enter the viewing areas please avoid the area.’

And the Royal Parks added: ‘Crowds have flocked to St James’s Park for Trooping the Colour and public viewing areas are now at full capacity.

‘Please do not head to St James’s Park but enjoy the Jubilee celebrations elsewhere.’

Who made it on to the Buckingham Palace balcony? Queen is joined by THREE generations of family including her cousins, three of her children and three great-grandchildren – but Harry and Meghan miss out

The Queen was joined by a slimmed-down version of the Royal Family as she stepped out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Platinum Jubilee flypast following Trooping the Colour.

In order to avoid any awkwardness surrounding the presence of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew, the Queen decreed that only working members of the Royal Family would join her on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the flypast.

In 2019, there were 40 members of the family present, including her grandchildren and their families, as well as more distant relatives like her cousins’ children.

But this year just 17 members of her family were present: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, The Princess Royal and Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.

Following his ejection from public life, after settling a civil court case in America over allegations of sexual abuse against Virginia Giuffre (which he vehemently denies), it was inconceivable that Prince Andrew would be given a spot.

Indeed, he was not even invited to join other royal family members including Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex to watch Trooping the Colour at the Major General’s Office overlooking the Whitehall parade ground.

However, in paring the list down to just 17 people to avoid potential diplomatic pitfalls, the Queen has been forced to omit a number of well-liked family members including her much-loved grandchildren and their families.

Her cousins, including Prince Michael of Kent, and their families, with whom the Queen enjoys a warm relationship are also out in the cold, with a total of at least 34 royals absent from the balcony.

Their father’s absence means that Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice also did not appear with their husbands and children.

Their cousin Peter Philip’s would typically appear with his now ex-wife Autumn and their two daughters, and so the York sisters would reasonably have been expected to be joined by Eugenie’s husband Jack Brooksbank and Beatrice’s husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi – not to mention the sisters’ children Sienna and August, if they felt they weren’t too young.

Similarly the Queen’s other adult grandchildren, Peter Philips and Zara Tindall have been excluded with their families, even though their mother Princess Anne and stepfather Sir Timothy Laurence joined the Queen.

How Kate Middleton kept her kids calm: Duchess talked her three youngsters through every step of the parade and pointed out the flags, colours and crowds on their first major royal engagement as a trio

Kate Middleton appeared to use distraction techniques to keep her three children calm as they played a central role in the historic Trooping the Colour parade on Thursday.

According to a lip reader who examined video footage of the short journey from Buckingham Palace in the horse-drawn carriage, the Duchess pointed out Union Jacks in the crowd and kept talking to Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, to ensure they weren’t overwhelmed by the enormity of the big occasion.

At one point, the Duchess, 40, appeared to say: ‘This is wonderful! Look at all these people!’ as she travelled with her three young children and the Duchess of Cornwall towards Horse Guards Parade.

An inquisitive Louis is thought to have spotted Prince William, who took part in the parade on horseback, saying: ‘Look that’s Dad.’

Clearly enjoying the day too, the Duchess of Cambridge was thought to have told her children ‘Look at these colours and all the flags!’ as they bypassed thousands of well-wishers on the Mall and a sea of Union Jacks.

Kate looked chic in a white coat dress by Alexander McQueen, wearing her hair loosely plaited and tucked under a glamorous white and navy wide-brimmed hat by A-list milliner Philip Treacy.

According to the lipreader, the carriage’s young royals were clearly amazed by just how many people had turned out to mark the Platinum Jubilee at Buckingham Palace.

The most au fait with royal occasions, Prince George appeared to turn to the crowd and say ‘wow’, as he noted the thousands of people at all the people.

A giggling Princess Charlotte also remarked ‘wow’, while Prince George was seen saying: ‘This is great’ before asking: ‘Mama, where does this stop?’

Kate is thought to have answered: ‘That’s the entrance. that is where we are going to be stopping.’