'LONDON WILL COME TOGETHER TO HONOUR OUR QUEEN'

PM: CAPITAL WILL UNITE TO PAY TRIBUTE TO AN UNPRECEDENTED 70 YEARS OF SERVICE | 'Jubilee celebrations will embody the best of British'

- Nicholas Cecil

LONDONERS are set to "light up" the city for the Platinum Jubilee as they unite to celebrate the Queen's "outstanding reign and service", Boris Johnson said today. Visitors from around the globe will flock to the capital to pay tribute to her unprecedented 70 years as Britain's head of state, he added.

As people across the capital were preparing for a bonanza of bunting-strewn street parties, the Prime Minister wrote in the Standard: "With the first Platinum Jubilee ever, no monarch has served the country so long and, more importantly, no monarch has ever served it so well.

"Over the coming days, this city will light up and celebrate the national unity and pride that connects us all, showcasing the best of British, embodied by Her Majesty the Queen herself. With every concert and every street party, may we all rejoice in celebrating the love, devotion and leadership that has made her well and truly Elizabeth the Great."

The Queen, the nation's longest-reigning monarch, is expected to make a double appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the start of the celebrations after Trooping the Colour on Thursday, and after the Pageant parade finale on Sunday. Her Majesty, 96, is also hoping to be able attend the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, with her wider family including, it is expected, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Duke of York.

The Queen, who has been on a prejubilee break resting in Balmoral has been facing episodic mobility problems in recent months. This led her to miss a number of major events this year, including the State Opening of Parliament.