In pictures: Queen's joy as Royal Family joins thousands celebrating Platinum Jubilee

Chris Parsons and Natalie Marchant
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Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: Queen smiles as she marks 70 years on the throne

The Queen was seen to be beaming as she watched Trooping the Colour and the subsequent flypast in honour of her Platinum Jubilee. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal superfans on The Mall

Royal superfans decked out in red, white and blue, line The Mall near Buckingham Palace ahead of the Jubilee ceremonies. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Crowds ahead of Trooping the Colour

Crowds near Trafalgar Square ahead of the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade, central London. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal fans wait for Trooping the Colour

Royal fans line the Mall as they wait for the Trooping the Colour as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Police on The Mall

Police keep crowds in check on the Mall, metres from Buckingham Palace. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Superfan stops for a pint

Royal enthusiast Steve Taylor from Merseyside poses for a photo as he drinks a beer in a pub in central London ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (Reuters)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Union flags a popular fashion choice

This Royal Family fan went to great lengths to show her support and patriotism on the day of the ceremony. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Crowds gather on The Mall

Crowds had gathered overnight on The Mall to ensure they got a good spot to glimpse the royals on their carriage journey to Buckingham Palace. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Buckingham Palace balcony prepped

A member of the palace staff cleans the balcony ahead of Trooping the Colour parade. (Getty)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – The Mall ahead of Trooping the Colour

Scenes on The Mall as the Royal Procession prepares to leave Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA Images via Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Troops ride down The Mall

King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery ride down The Mall during the Trooping the Colour parade. (Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Household Division Foot Guards head down The Mall

Household Division Foot Guards process along The Mall as they take part in Trooping the Colour. (AFP via Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Irish wolfhound leads Guards down The Mall

Regimental mascot Seamus the Irish wolfhound leads the Irish Guards march along The Mall ahead of the Trooping the Colour ceremony. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal Procession heads down The Mall

The Royal Procession leaves Buckingham Palace and heads down the Mall for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Camilla and Kate arrive at Horse Guards Parade

The Duchess of Cornwall, the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Charlotte pictured in the first carriage of the Royal Procession that travelled from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for Trooping the Colour. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal children in first Trooping the Colour procession

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte made a surprise appearance in the Royal Procession to Horse Guards Parade for Trooping the Colour. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Earl and Countess of Wessex in Royal Procession

The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Viscount Severn and Lady Louise Windsor followed in another carriage. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Charles, Anne and William on horseback

The Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal leaves Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Household Division Foot Guards march

Household Division Foot Guards march during the Trooping the Colour, as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (AFP via Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Lady Louise and Viscount Severn arrive at Horse Guards Parade

Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn ride in a carriage from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade for the Trooping the Colour ceremony. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – William and Anne during Trooping the Colour

The Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal Family watch Trooping the Colour

The Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watch the Trooping of the Color ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – TV journalists cover Trooping the Colour

Television journalists hard at work during Trooping the Colour at Horse Guards Parade. (Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Charles stands in for his mother

The Prince of Wales stood in for his mother to inspect the troops during the Trooping the Colour ceremony at Horse Guards Parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – The Band of the Welsh Guards

The Band of the Welsh Guards make their down The Mall during the Trooping the Colour parade. (Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Troops head to fire ceremonial gun

The Kings Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery ride down The Mall on their way to fire the ceremonial gun to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – The Royal Standard flag flies from Buckingham Palace

The Royal Standard flag is pictured flying from the roof of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour ceremony, indicating the Queen has arrived from Windsor. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Queen arrives on the Buckingham Palace balcony

The Queen and her cousin, the Duke of Kent, on balcony of Buckingham Palace as she received the salute during the Trooping the Colour parade. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal Gun Salute at Edinburgh Castle

The 105th Regiment Royal Artillery, The Scottish and Ulster Gunners during the Royal Gun Salute at Edinburgh Castle to mark the start of the Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Crowds on The Mall after Trooping the Colour

Crowds on the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour parade at Horse Guards Parade and ahead of the jubilee flypast. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – 82 Gun Salute in Hyde Park

The Kings Troop, The Royal Artillery arrive in Hyde Park to perform an 82 Gun Salute as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (AFP via Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Queen joined by senior royals on the Buckingham Palace

Senior members of the Royal Family joined the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace ahead of a flypast to mark the Platinum Jubilee. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Prince Andrew were notable absentees. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royals join Queen on Buckingham Palace balcony

The Queen pictured with the Duchess of Cornwall and the Prince of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children, on the balcony. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royals watch the jubilee flypast

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra, the Duke of Kent, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and the Princess Royal were also on the balcony for the flypast. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – RAF fighter jets form '70' in flypast

Fighter jets from the RAF fly in formation to form the number '70' during a Platinum Jubilee special flypast following the Trooping the Colour. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Prince Louis steals the show

The flypast was impressive but for many, it was Prince Louis, bottom left, who stole the hearts of the crowds as he appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with his parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Red Arrows conclude flypast

The Red Arrows during a flypast at the conclusion of the Trooping the Colour ceremony to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Crowds on The Mall watch the Red Arrows

Members of the public cheer as they watch the Red Arrows do a flypast over Buckingham Palace after Trooping the Colour. (AFP via Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Royal Gun Salute in Cardiff

The Union flag flutters during the Royal Gun Salute in Cardiff's Roald Dahl Plass to mark the start of the Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend.

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Racegoers mark the occasion

Entertainers on stilts wearing Union flag costumes at Redcar Racecourse on the first day of the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Jimmy Tarbuk at Queen's Baton Relay

Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck as the Queen's Baton Relay visits the Royal Variety charity's Brinsworth House care home in Twickenham, London. (PA)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – A street party in Westminster

Residents eat lunch at a Platinum Jubilee street party in Westminster, central London. (PA via AP)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Youngsters party in town square

Youngsters with their faces painted with Union flags dance on top of a wall in Downham Market, Norfolk. (Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – Decorations around the country

A house in the village of Poynton, Stockport, was also decorated in Union flag colours as celebrations were held around the country. (Danehouse/Getty Images)

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Queen's Platinum Jubilee – France marks the Queen's 70 years on the throne

In France, the British Ambassador to France Menna Rawlings and French president Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Arc de Triomphe before a flame rekindling ceremony in the Queen's honour. (AFP via Getty Images)

After months of preparations amid a backdrop of national controversies and global issues, Britons can finally relax and celebrate during the double bank holiday for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Street parties will be taking place nationwide this weekend, along with the pomp and ceremony of the royal family's official engagements.

Events kicked off with Trooping the Colour and later on Thursday the ceremonial Lighting of the Beacons will take place across the UK and Commonwealth.

Other landmark events across the weekend include the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday, with performances from the likes Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, Queen and Duran Duran, as well as the Platinum Jubilee Pageant in London on Sunday.

On Thursday, thousands lined the streets of The Mall - many decked out in red, white and blue Union flag fancy dress, for the Trooping the Colour ceremony.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s children were spotted taking part in their first carriage procession as celebrations marking the Queen’s 70-year reign began.

Cheers went up from thousands of spectators in The Mall as they caught sight of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis with proud parent Kate and the Duchess of Cornwall.

The traditional carriage procession left Buckingham Palace ahead of Trooping the Colour, also known as the Birthday Parade, that marked the start of four days of festivities honouring the Queen’s 70-year reign.

The Royal Family then returned to the palace, where the Queen had already appeared on the balcony alongside the Duke of Kent to take the salute from the parading troops.

Senior royals all appeared on the balcony for the jubilee flypast, which featured aircraft spelling out the number '70' and concluded with a spectacular show from the Red Arrows.