Crowd cheers Queen Elizabeth as historic jubilee celebrations begin

Tens of thousands of people on Thursday cheered the Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II as she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the start of her historic Platinum Jubilee.

The 96-year-old monarch’s appearance had been in doubt due to illness and mobility problems but she took a salute from troops after a military parade.

According to Herald Sun, the queen will make a second appearance on the balcony later to watch a six-minute fly-past of more than 70 military aircraft, including iconic models from World War II.

At nightfall, the queen will be at Windsor Castle, west of London, to take part in a ceremony to light more than 3,000 beacons across the country and the Commonwealth of 54 nations that she heads