London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 30, 2026

Royals feeds penguins as Jubilee celebrations continue

Royals feeds penguins as Jubilee celebrations continue

Princess Anne visited Edinburgh Zoo on the second day of celebrations to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Street parties were also held across the country to honour the first monarch to reach the milestone.

On Thursday the festivities got under way with a Royal gun salute at Edinburgh Castle, before beacons were lit across the country.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led tributes in Scotland and hailed the Queen's "selfless commitment to duty".

The Queen was also praised for "staying the course" as royals joined dignitaries at a thanksgiving service for the Platinum Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral.

Referring to her love of horse racing, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said the 96-year-old monarch was "still in the saddle", even though she was not able to attend.

The Queen, who experienced "discomfort" during Thursday's events, watched the service from Windsor Castle.

Afterwards Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence travelled to Scotland where they fed penguins and met young Ukrainian refugees at Edinburgh Zoo.

The couple were in the Scottish capital as members of the royal family visited the nations of the UK over the long weekend to celebrate the Queen's milestone.

They visited the Penguins' Rock enclosure - which is home to gentoo, rockhopper and king penguins - and fed the residents with blue whiting from a bucket.

HMS Albion is in Edinburgh for the Jubilee weekend

Princess Anne pats an armadillo during her zoo visit


Earlier, the princess met children from Ukrainian orphanages who were taking part in an animal handling session with a snake and an armadillo in the zoo's Rainforest Room.

The children were rescued from the war-torn country and brought to Scotland with the help of the charity Dnipro Kids, formed by supporters of Hibernian Football Club.

While in Edinburgh, the couple will also visit HMS Albion and inspect a Guard of Honour before boarding the ship.

On the flight deck of the amphibious assault vessel, the princess will meet members of the ship's company and representatives from charities across Scotland supported by the Queen and Anne as patrons, before cutting a commemorative cake.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Earl and Countess of Wessex will visit Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.

Residents in Glasgow's Kelvindale held a street party in the sunshine


To mark the Platinum Jubilee, the traditional bank holiday on the last Monday in May was moved to Thursday.

It has been followed by an extra bank holiday on Friday.

On the first day of celebrations beacons were simultaneously lit across the UK at 21:45.

The focal point in Scotland was Edinburgh Castle but teams from Walking With The Wounded also lit beacons at the summits of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike in England, Mount Snowdon in Wales and Slieve Donard in Northern Ireland.

Beacon events were also held at locations including Greenock in Inverclyde, Saltcoats in North Ayrshire, Dunnottar Castle at Stonehaven and at RAF Lossiemouth, where the celebrations featured a Military Wives Choir.

Among the notable local weekend events is a re-enactment of the Queen's 1953 Coronation in Kelso in the Scottish Borders on Saturday, featuring members of the local Scouts and Guides.

Musselburgh Race Course will top off a weekend of Jubilee racing with a special corgi derby on Sunday.

A distant relative of one of The Queen's own corgis, named Paddy from Port Seton, will take part.

And in Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway, about 2,000 people are expected at a street party on Sunday which will see the town's St Cuthbert Street closed to traffic.

The main highlight in Edinburgh will be an open-air concert in West Princes Street Gardens on Sunday.

Members of the public are being encouraged to bring their picnic blankets for the free event, which starts at 12:30.

It will feature music by the HM Royal Marines Scotland band, Love Music Community Choir and a special Edinburgh Festival Carnival parade.


Orkney islanders have been celebrating the Queen's the Platinum Jubilee


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The World's Most Terrifying Smartphone: Recording, Documenting, and Reporting to the Regime
The AI User Nightmare: Private Claude Conversations Leaked to the Internet
UK: Former Football Association Leaders Call for World Cup Boycott Over FIFA Privatization Plan
Forbidden Love: China severs millions from their virtual partners
Over 24 Hours in the Air: Qantas Airbus Completes Record-Breaking Test Flight
Prince Harry Faces Significant Legal Costs After Insurance Shortfall
FirstGroup Sells Rail Software Business to Tracsis for £48 Million
Victoria and Albert Museum Staff Vote for Strike Action
Norwegian Teenager Convicted Over Contract Killing Plot in Britain
Royal Mail Raises Bulk Mailing Prices by 30%
Immigration Remains Britain's Top Public Concern, Ipsos Survey Finds
Prime Minister Says Social Care Reform Must Precede Assisted Dying Legislation
Ofgem Proposes Steep Grid Connection Charges for New Data Centers
Major Cyberattack Compromises UK Education and Police Data
Government Reviews Jurisdiction Over Crimes Involving US Military Personnel
England Declares Widespread Drought After Record Dry July
UK Commits £8.4 Billion to Dreadnought Nuclear Submarine Program
Zuckerberg Opposes US Ban on Chinese AI Models and Warns of Regulatory Capture
Massive Wildfires Ravage Southern Europe: Fatalities in Greece and Evacuations Across France, Spain, and Turkey
NHS Leaders Warn Royal Mail Tariff Increases Will Raise Administrative Costs
Immigration Remains the Public's Top Concern in Britain, Ipsos Poll Finds
Britain Approves 16 New Grid Storage Projects to Strengthen Electricity Network
London-Listed Merger Activity Climbs Even as IPO Market Remains Weak
Institute of Directors Warns High Energy Costs and Taxes Continue to Weigh on UK Businesses
North Sea Industry Calls for Faster Approval of £10 Billion Rosebank and Jackdaw Projects
UK Inflation Eases to 2.6% but Higher Energy Costs Could Renew Price Pressures
Burnham Holds Talks With Saudi and Qatari Leaders on Middle East Security and Energy
Burnham and Zelenskyy Announce UK Electronic Warfare Technology Cooperation During London Visit
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Launches Cross-Party Push for Social Care Reform in England
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
Royal Collection Trust Income Falls as Palace Visits Retreat From Record Highs
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Ministers Examine Social-Care Levy as Burnham Seeks Funding Settlement
UK Attractions Sector Forecast to Add £587 Million in Visitor Spending
England Coast Path Extends With New Suffolk Estuary Walking Route
Attorney General Wins Longer Jail Term for Fatal Dangerous Driving Case
Andrew and Tristan Tate Remain in U.S. Custody Pending UK Extradition
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Workers Secure Above-Inflation Pay Deal
Prime Minister Seeks Cross-Party Agreement on Social Care Reform
Court Upholds Competition Ruling Against Drugmakers Over Hydrocortisone Prices
UK Unveils Major Technical Education Reform for Secondary Schools
UK Judge Rebukes Home Office Over AI-Generated Errors in Asylum Case
UK and Ukraine Agree to Share Electronic Warfare Technology
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
×