Jun 4, 2012

Britain continued celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II Monday ahead of the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert. Hundreds of thousands turned out, wearing masks of the Royal Family, waving Union Jack flags, and cheering — nothing short of a British-style tailgating party before the main event. Elton John, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, and Kylie Minogue were among performers at the concert that honored the 86-year-old queen.

‌– Stokely Baksh contributed to this post.

: Crowds sit in The Mall as they wait for The Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. For only the second time in its history the UK celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend’s celebrations. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

: A basset hound dog wears the Union Jack flag in St James’s Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: A woman sits in a tent in The Mall as she waits for The Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. For only the second time in it’s history, the UK celebrates the Diamond Jubilee of a monarch. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates the 60th anniversary of her ascension to the throne. (Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

: A sponge is decorated with cut-outs of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Goldsmith Avenue Street Party to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth, in Ealing, west London June 4, 2012. “Elizabeth rules the waves!” was just one headline from gushing British press coverage of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee on Monday, the third day of celebrations that have bolstered a royal family once mired in scandal and dismissed as outdated. (Luke MacGregor/Reuters)

: A Mini car decorated for a Diamond Jubilee competition is seen during a street party in Clapham, South London June 4, 2012. Large crowds gathered on the grand red road leading to Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuous London palace on Monday for a pop concert to celebrate her 60 years on the throne, but preparations were overshadowed by news her husband had been admitted to hospital. (Andrew Winning/Reuters)

: Crowds begin to gather on the Mall prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: A visitor arrives wearing a hat decorated with a crown, British flags, dolls and an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, at St. James Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

: An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II peeks out from a hat decorated with a crown, British flags, and dolls on the head of a visitor prior to the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

: A family enjoy a picnic on The Mall as they wait for The Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. Thousands of well-wishers from around the world have flocked to London to witness the spectacle of the weekend’s celebrations. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

: A woman with Union Flag painted nails sits on The Mall as she waits for The Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

: A woman in a fancy dress hat featuring Queen Elizabeth II and a corgi waits for the start of the Diamond Jubilee, Buckingham Palace Concert May 04, 2012 in London, England. (Dominic Lipinski – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

: People pose wearing masks of Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: People pose wearing masks of Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: People pose wearing masks of Queen Elizabeth II and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in St James’s Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: Revellers enjoy the party atmosphere on the The Mall as thousands gather for The Diamond Jubilee Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

: People wear masks of the Royal family the Mall prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: Crowds begin to gather on the Mall prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: Tents are set up in St James’s Park prior to the Diamond Jubilee Buckingham Palace Concert on June 4, 2012 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

: A man (R) dressed in a suit of Britain’s Union flag poses for pictures on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London, on June 4, 2012, in preparation for the Queen’s Jubilee concert. A chain of more than 4,200 beacons began to flare across the globe Monday to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee, with the last to be lit by the monarch at a star-studded concert at Buckingham Palace. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Royal supporters gather on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London, on June 4, 2012, in preparation for the Queen’s Jubilee concert. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Royal supporters gather on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace (Background) in London, on June 4, 2012, in preparation for the Queen’s Jubilee concert. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Royal supporters prepare for the Queen’s jubilee concert as they gather on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London, on June 4, 2012. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Spectators gather for the Queen’s jubilee concert on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London, on June 4, 2012 .(Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)

: A reveler wears a T-shirt featuring a likeness of the young Queen Elizabeth II in Hyde Park during a live retransmission of the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace in London on June 4, 2012. (John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

: Children pose with Union Jack flags on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace in London, on June 4, 2012, during the Queen’s Jubilee concert. (Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

: Celebrity look-a-like Caroline Bernstein, dressed as Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, leaves her house to join the Goldsmith Avenue Street Party to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth in Ealing, west London June 4, 2012. (Luke MacGregor/Reuters)

: A woman arrives on The Mall ahead of a concert at Buckingham Palace in London June 4, 2012. (Paul Hackett/Reuters)

: A spectator relaxes on a portable chair on The Mall ahead of a concert at Buckingham Palace in London June 4, 2012. (Toby Melville/Reuters)

: A man wears a bowler hat with a Union Flag as he waits on The Mall for the start of the Diamond Jubilee concert for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in London June 4, 2012. (Dominic Lipinski/Reuters)

: Royal fan William Wallace waits on The Mall for the start of the Diamond Jubilee concert for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in London June 4, 2012. (Ki Price/Reuters

: A man wears a Union Flag outfit as he waits on The Mall for the start of the Diamond Jubilee concert for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in London June 4, 2012. (Ki Price/Reuters)

Concert for queen draws huge crowds, husband ill
Mohammed Abbas and Mike Collett-White
Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) – Robbie Williams kicked off a concert outside Queen Elizabeth’s sumptuous London residence on Monday before huge crowds gathered to celebrate the monarch’s 60 years on the throne, but the event was overshadowed by news her husband had been hospitalized.

Prince Philip, who turns 91 next weekend, was taken to hospital with a bladder infection in what Buckingham Palace said was a “precautionary” move.

He will remain under observation for a few days, meaning he will miss the latter stages of the queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations, but the monarch was expected to attend Monday’s gig featuring pop royalty like Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder.

Tailgating for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace

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