The Queen's Appearance At The Platinum Jubilee Celebration Has Fans Surprised For This Reason
Queen Elizabeth is living history. After 70 years as monarch and her 96th birthday in April 2022, she has played a pivotal role in major events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since 2015, the queen has had the distinction of being Britain's longest-reigning monarch, and only three kings in history surpass her time on the throne, per The New York Times.
Prior to participating in a televised event to honor the queen's Platinum Jubilee, actor Tom Cruise said (via People), "[To] people of all walks of life — not just America but the world — [she's admired for] dignity, devotion, and kindness that I have always felt about her."
Fans are always excited to see the queen at a public event, but, due to ongoing mobility challenges and the realities of getting older, her appearances are not confirmed until the last minute. Palace aides note that Her Majesty has "good and less good days," per the Daily Mail.
While Elizabeth's health problems sometimes impact her attendance, such as the opening of parliament on May 10, she is still getting out and about quite a bit. Within a span of a few days, the queen made two appearances: at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and, much to the delight of her fans, at a special performance in honor of her Platinum Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth appeared to have a great time at the event
On May 15, 2022, Queen Elizabeth attended A Gallop Through History, a star-studded spectacle that launched her Platinum Jubilee celebration, per BBC. The program brought history to life with a cast of over 1,300 performers and 600 horses, including Dame Helen Mirren in the role of Elizabeth I (via Daily Mail).
Wearing a pale blue dress accessorized with an embellished gray shawl and her trusty walking stick, the queen stepped onto the red carpet and received a standing ovation from 5,000 spectators, per People. She arrived at the event escorted by her youngest son, Prince Edward.
During the program's broadcast on ITV, TV personality Alan Titchmarsh told the hosts (via The Telegraph) that the queen is a "remarkable woman whom I've met quite a lot and been bowled over by because she's such ferociously good company."
At the show, the monarch provided ample evidence of being full of fun. Seated in the royal box, Queen Elizabeth smiled and laughed throughout the show, displaying particular mirth during comedian Omid Djalil's Guy Fawkes joke, per Daily Mail.
When her granddaughter, Lady Louise Windsor, displayed her horsemanship in the show, the queen's eyes seemed to fill with tears (via People). Lady Windsor rode in Prince Philip's exercise carriage, continuing her grandparents' shared love of horses.
To conclude the performance, Mirren expressed the country's love of the monarch, saying (via People), "For all these years you have carried our nation and have been its heart and drumbeat."
In the past, the queen sometimes appeared more stoic than smiley
Although she was having a wonderful time at A Gallop Through History (pictured above), Queen Elizabeth hasn't always appeared so relaxed and happy during public outings. With the sheer number of appearances she's made in her 70-plus year career, there have been plenty of photo ops showing Her Majesty looking a bit disgruntled, per PopSugar.
When she was new to the job, smiling didn't come easily to the young queen. According to author Sally Bedell Smith, the strain of smiling at numerous appearances even resulted in a brief facial tic. "The trouble is that unlike my mother, I don't have a naturally smiley face," the queen once said, per Smith (via International Business Times).
Although she's now a pro at making televised speeches, Her Majesty initially had to rely on a "smile please" cue card. To get over jitters before live speaking events, the late Prince Philip reportedly passed her a note saying, "Remember the gnashing and wailing of teeth," referencing the time he teased her with a set of false teeth, per My London.
Even if it doesn't come naturally, when the queen does smile, she lights up a room. "She has a very encouraging smile," body language expert Darren Stanton told Marie Claire. "In that moment she's engaging with you, it feels as though she has her own forcefield around her. She's only focused on you and interested in you."