Roads were closed to vehicular traffic and more than 500,000 tourists flooded the London train stations to attend the commemorative events and watch the “pageant” water parade. Finding a place to watch the spectacle on either side of the Thames is extremely difficult, and people prepare beer and sandwiches hours before the start of the event to secure a spot. The only way to get around is on foot or by subway. The main subway stations are also closed. On June 3, a day that is hard for crowd-phobes, there were many cheerful people singing and groping on the streets and sidewalks from morning till late. That’s because before the water parade, more than 4 million people from the United…

The very word “queen” seems to have been coined for Her Majesty. In preparation for this historic occasion, Queen Elizabeth II sailed the Thames aboard the Spirit of Chartwell, a royal ship completely redecorated in the 17th and 18th centuries. Under the gold canopy, a red velvet armchair was reserved for the queen. However, the queen did not want to sit in it for even a moment. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Kemptridge, and Prince Harry were at the Queen’s side. The Princess was escorted around her ship by more than 1,000 boats of all kinds from all over the world. The 11-kilometer water…