LONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II stepped gingerly onto the Buckingham Palace balcony Thursday, drawing wild cheers from the tens of thousands who came to join her at the start of four days of celebrations of her 70 years on the throne.
Elizabeth, who became queen at 25, is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the first to reach the milestone of seven decades on the throne. She basked in her moment. Smiling, she chatted with her great-grandson Prince Louis, 4, who occasionally covered his ears as 70 military aircraft old and new swooped low over the palace to salute the queen. The six-minute display included a formation of Typhoon fighter jets flying in the shape of the number 70.
Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William watch from the balcony of Buckingham Place after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.(Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP) 
Prince Louis covers his ears from the balcony of Buckingham Place during a fly-past after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.(Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP) 
Queen Elizabeth II, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William watch from the balcony of Buckingham Place after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.(Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP) 
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Louis, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William watch from the balcony of Buckingham Place after the Trooping the Color ceremony in London, Thursday, June 2, 2022, on the first of four days of celebrations to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The events over a long holiday weekend in the U.K. are meant to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.(Aaron Chown/Pool Photo via AP) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and Prince Louis of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince Louis of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince Louis of Cambridge on the balcony during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Queen Elizabeth II on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour alongside (L-R) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charlotte of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Queen Elizabeth II smiles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour alongside (L-R) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charlotte of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Prince Louis of Cambridge. pulls a face as he watches the RAF flypast with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Queen Elizabeth II smiles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour alongside (L-R) Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charlotte of Cambridge during Trooping The Colour on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Prince Louis of Cambridge. pulls a face as he watches the RAF flypast with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, on the balcony of Buckingham Palace watch the RAF flypast during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Paul Grover – WPA Pool/Getty Images) 
Britain’s Prince George of Cambridge Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge and Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Cambridge travel in a horse-drawn carriage during the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations, in London on June 2, 2022. – Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign. (Photo by Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince George of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Aaron Chown – WPA Pool/Getty Images) 
TOPSHOT – Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge (2L) holds his ears as he stands next to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L), his m mother Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (C), Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (2R)and Britain’s Prince George of Cambridge to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations, in London on June 2, 2022. – Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Charlotte of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace,during Trooping The Colour on June 2, 2022 in London, England.Trooping The Colour, also known as The Queen’s Birthday Parade, is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army that has taken place since the mid-17th century. It marks the official birthday of the British Sovereign. This year, from June 2 to June 5, 2022, there is the added celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Alastair Grant – WPA Pool/Getty Images) 
TOPSHOT – Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge (L) Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Cambridge (C) and Britain’s Prince George of Cambridge, react as they watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations, in London on June 2, 2022. – Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images) 
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge and Mia Tindall watch Trooping The Colour at Horeguards parade, on June 2, 2022 in London, England. Trooping The Colour, also known as The Queen’s Birthday Parade, is a military ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army that has taken place since the mid-17th century. It marks the official birthday of the British Sovereign. This year, from June 2 to June 5, 2022, there is the added celebration of the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Roland Hoskins – WPA Pool/Getty Images) 
TOPSHOT – Britain’s Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, (2R) reacts as Britain’s Prince Louis of Cambridge (2L) covers his ears, as they stand with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L), and Britain’s Princess Charlotte of Cambridge to watch a special flypast from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Queen’s Birthday Parade, the Trooping the Colour, as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations, in London on June 2, 2022. – Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign. (Photo by Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images)
Cheers and the clop of hooves rang out Thursday as horse-drawn carriages carried members of the royal family, including Prince William’s wife, Kate, and their children Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and 4-year-old Prince Louis, from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade, a ceremonial parade ground about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) away, for the Trooping the Color ceremony.
