Queen Elizabeth II appears at palace balcony on final day of Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Queen Elizabeth II has appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, delighting fans who had hoped to catch a glimpse of her during the final day of festivities marking the monarch’s 70 years on the throne. The 96-year-old monarch has curtailed her schedule in recent months due to problems moving around, which the palace describes as “periodic mobility issues.”

Prior to Sunday, the queen had only appeared in public twice during the four-day Platinum Jubilee. On Thursday, Elizabeth joined other members of the royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace as they waved to supporters following the Queen’s Birthday Parade. Later the same day, she took part in a national beacon lighting ceremony at Windsor Castle, the royal residence 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of London where she has spent much of the past two years.

But she didn’t attend a church service in her honour on Friday at St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London, and she decided not to travel to the Epsom Derby horse race on Saturday. The queen also missed the gala party outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, though she did appear in a pre-recorded skit with Paddington Bear.

Image: AP