My Thoughts on Today's Diamond Jubilee Festivities

Hi guys! I spent eight and a half to nine hours watching the pageant on the Thames River today, so I though I'd talk about it on my blog.

As most of you have gathered by now, I'm an American, so I watched the live stream on the BBC's website from about 7:30 AM to maybe 1:00, 1:30 in the afternoon, and it was so amazing!

The Royal Barge was so opulently, yet tastefully done and I thought that the Queen looked so beautiful in white, and I was really wowed by Kate's red ensemble.

I actually shrieked out loud when they showed Matt Baynton and Jim Howick from Horrible Histories...if it had been people from pretty much any other British TV show (apart from Doctor Who...or the 2006 version of Robin Hood...or...no, that's it), I would've been so lost, but I totally watch that online...it was a really good moment for me.

Okay, I admit, I was totally squeeing when they did the sequences in the maternity ward of St. Thomas's hospital, with the "Jubilee Babies," that was absolutely adorable!

I was totally in awe of all the boats they had. The Gloriana was beautiful, and the fact that people were actually rowing all those boats was amazing, and then all the historic Dunkirk ones...I was really impressed that they had over 1000.

I also squealed out loud when a Wordsworth poem was quoted...that's why I'm an English major ;)

The bit when they had the horse from War Horse give a salute to the Queen was absolutely amazing...I really loved that for some reason.

I'd never seen St. Paul's Cathedral before, even though I've heard it mentioned by many novels...so it was nice to see that.

And, oh, my God, Tower Bridge went all the way up! I was actually really excited for that as they kept saying that it was going to go up...that was really neat.

I also really liked the quick summary of Queen Elizabeth's reign they gave...I thought that was a nice touch.

I absolutely died when the London Philharmonic Orchestra boat came around the Spirit of Chartwell and they sang Land of Hope and Glory, I think it was, just as it was totally raining...that was amazing, and they kept singing, right on through Rule Britannia and God Save the Queen, in the pouring rain. I totally teared up,  I'm not going to lie.

I was also really surprised when the fireworks went off from Tower Bridge; that was really amazing, too.

So, if you care what I thought, I thought the pageant on the Thames today was amazing, and if you didn't see it, I suggest you poke around online and look for some video, because it was awesome.

Check back for more commentary from me on Diamond Jubilee festivities and a review of World Without End by Ken Follett.

Thanks for reading!