Queen Elizabeth.Photo: Stuart C. Wilson/Getty. Inset: Historic Royal Palaces
While the70th anniversaryofQueen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne on Feb. 6. struck a somber tone (it also marked the anniversary of her father, King George VI’s death), plans to celebrate theQueen’s Platinum Jubileeare in place for June.
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A giant slide will also be installed at the Tower of London as part of an impressive floral display, which will see 20 million flowers fill the moat around the tower. The slide will offer a fun, family-friendly way to enter the moat. (In the 19th century, the moat was drained and grassed-over, and used as a grazing ground for Victorian livestock.)
An illustration of The Tower of London “Superbloom” display.Historic Royal Palaces
“We want to give visitors to Superbloom the chance to arrive in the flowers with a sense of occasion and fun — and what better way to do that than entering the Tower of London’s moat via a huge slide?” Tom O’Leary, Director of Public Engagement at Historic Royal Palaces, said.
“As well as creating a unique way in — which we hope will be a big hit with families — we’re lucky enough to have been able to recycle an existing slide, enabling us to do this in a sustainable way,” he added.
The latest plans for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee come amid the announcement that themonarch has tested positive for COVID-19.Queen Elizabeth, 95, is experiencing “mild cold-like symptoms,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Feb. 20. She is expected to continue “light duties” over the coming week.
Tower of London.Getty Images
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Queen Elizabethbecame the longest-ruling monarch in U.K. history in Sept. 2015, when she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who spent 63 years and 216 days on the throne.
source: people.com
