LONDON — This week, Britain will continue a days-long party featuring mounted troops, solemn prayers — and a pack of dancing mechanical corgis.
The nation will celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne this week with four days of pomp and pageantry in central London.
But behind the brass bands and the queen's appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace lies a drive to show that the royal family still remains relevant.
The royals, sometimes criticized as being out of touch, want to show that their support comes from all parts of a society that has become more multicultural amid immigration from the Caribbean, South Asia and Eastern Europe.
The jubilee is also part of the effort to prepare the public for the day when Prince Charles takes the throne.
Only 15 other monarchs around the world have celebrated a Platinum Jubilee in the last 1,000 years.
Queen Elizabeth is not only Britain’s longest-serving monarch but the world’s oldest and longest-reigning current monarch as well.