This photo is taken in St Paul’s Cathedral looking down on the congregation.  The 2 red chairs at central left are empty as they await for the Queen and Prince Philip.

This past weekend saw 3 days of festivities in London. On Friday June 10th, 2016 was the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral in honour of Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday and of her service to the UK and the Commonwealth. As well, it also happened to be Prince Philip’s 95th birthday that day. All the Royal family was in attendance as well as politicians past and present.  Other UK citizens who shared a 90th birthday were celebrated too such as the author who created Paddington Bear.  On Saturday, the Queen and other royal family members attended the annual Trooping of the Colour which is always on the second Saturday in June (the Queen’s honorary birthday).  This year, her nephew Peter Phillips, organized a street party on The Mall for 10,000 persons who are associated with the over 600 charities that have the Queen as a patron.  Unfortunately, it was a bit soggy for the first bit but the Brits took it in stride and wore rain ponchos.  Picnic hampers were provided by the British store Marks and Spencer. The Brits held their own street parties across the nation. Prince Charles and Camilla went to Gloucestershire to attend a street party there.

This photo shows the Queen and Prince Philip in the first car and Will, Kate and Harry in the second car, going by the 10,000 persons invited to the street party on The Mall.  They and other royal family members, later mingled with the crowds and even took part in photos and selfies.

The yearly Royal Horticulture Society Chelsea Garden Show had the Queen’s 90th birthday as a theme this year.  Floral Designer Ming Veevers-Carter created the Queen’s Head from a wall of floral buckets from the New Covent Garden market which were then filled with a massive amount flowers to create the depiction above.

Other special contributions included flowers above the entrance of the Garden show complete with a Crown and 300,000 knitted poppies in front of the Chelsea barracks completed by persons the world over.

The Pavillion which is always erected just before the show, had many nurseries from all over the UK represented.  All have planted specially for this show for months and bring their best specimens.  These displays are judged and everyone hopes to be awarded the coveted gold medal.

Six show gardens received a Gold medal this year.  The one woman, Jo Thompson, had created her 8th Chelsea garden.  Another fellow, Cleve West, had won Best Show Garden 6 times before. However, this year the overall winner was The Telegraph Garden created by Andy Sturgeon.  The BBC People’s Choice Award was Matthew Wilson’s ‘God’s Own County - a Garden for Yorkshire.’  He had a small chapel complete with a stained glass window to make reference to York Cathedral in the middle of a garden to commemorate the Yorkshire moors.