Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of day two of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Today’s thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral was meant to be a big family reunion for the Royals, but will now go ahead without the Queen, who was forced to pull out at the last minute.
The Palace said Her Majesty, 96, suffered "discomfort" following yesterday's celebrations during Trooping the Colour. Prince Andrew will also miss today’s service after saying he had tested positive for Covid.
But there will be a reunion for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are attending the service after flying in from the US. It will be the first time the couple have been surrounded by so many members of the Royal family since their wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
Follow the latest updates below.
On June 3 1805 the first ever Trooping the Colour took place at Horse Guards Parade, London.
Here is a reminder of the crowds that turned out at yesterday's Trooping the Colour to mark the Platinum Jubilee.
It was at Wills and Kate's wedding that Linda Bealey and Carolyn Snyder first met, reports Tom Ough.
Each had made a long journey – Miss Bealey from Devon, Miss Snyder from Virginia, USA – to join the throngs by the Mall.
"I said, 'You should come for the Diamond Jubilee'," recalled Miss Bealey. "I told her: 'You'll never see it again.' And here we are, 10 years later."
The two friends had got to St Paul's around 7am this morning, early enough to get a place standing at the front of the barriers.
They were in an opportune place to see the great and the good file into the cathedral, but they were sorry not to be seeing the Queen today. "It's disappointing for us, but she's doing her best," said Miss Snyder.
Miss Bealey, wearing a Union flag hat, thought the service would have been even more important to the Queen than tomorrow's concert. "We'd all forgive her for putting her feet up and watching it on TV at the Palace with some chocolates," she said.
The Queen will be watching the service at St Paul's on television from Windsor Castle.
She is expected to be resting at her Berkshire residence after the busy start to the Jubilee festivities on Thursday.
The Archbishop of York has said delivering the sermon at the service of thanksgiving to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee is a "slightly terrifying gig".
The Most Rev Stephen Cottrell has had to step in at the 11th hour after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, contracted Covid.
Speaking before the service at St Paul's Cathedral, Archbishop Cottrell said he was trying to treat it as just "another sermon".
"Obviously that's my job, speaking about the Christian faith, preaching sermons," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"Although this is a slightly terrifying gig I've been offered at short notice, from my knowledge of the Queen and when I've been with her before, indeed when I've preached in church when she's there, the one thing I'm very confident of is she wants to hear about the Christian faith which is what has motivated her and sustained her throughout her life, throughout her reign.
Linda Torr and Sue Limer, both 63, arrived at St. Paul’s at 5.15am to get a good spot to see the royals, reports Olivia Rudgard.
Linda, a florist, made their patriotic flower crowns herself.
The pair are school friends from Ashbourne in Derbyshire and both remember visits from when they were small children, including princess Margaret’s 1968 visit to Rushton Hall.
“We’re very much royalists,” said Mrs Torr. It’s something that we’ll never see again. It’s a real achievement. 70 years is amazing. It’s something our grandchildren won’t see.”
They said they were most excited to see the young princes and princess but less excited about the Duchess of Sussex.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has arrived at St Paul's Cathedral ahead of the thanksgiving service.
Some of members of the public cheered as he passed by the crowds already amassing outside.
Over the past hour, the crowds around St Paul's have become increasingly deep, writes Tom Ough.
Some of the metal barriers have been decorated with flags. Behind them, Royal fans chat happily. There is plenty of foreign media, including Portuguese TV journalist delivering a broadcast to camera.
There are small signs of security – keen eyes will note the police officers watching with binoculars from overlooking rooftops – but the mood is jovial, relaxed, and a little anticipatory.
With well over two hours to go, new arrivals to the crowd will find little opportunity for a good view.
Sonja Kimeswenger, a tour guide who flew in from Austria on Thursday evening to be outside St Paul’s, is hoping the anticipated presence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the service is a sign of reconciliation, reports Patrick Sawer.
“It’s a difficult situation with Harry and Meghan and I hope the family will come back together,” she said. “Harry and WIlliam are brothers after all and as we say in Austria, blood is thicker than wine. They should help one another, especially after the terrible death of their mother.”
Showing off her traditional Austrian dress and bodice outside Sir Christopher Wren’s church Mrs Kimeswenger, was not going to let the absence of the Queen spoil the day.
“I arrived yesterday evening and my greatest wish is to see the Queen, so it’s a shame she is not feeling well enough to be here for the service,” she said.
The Dean also spoke about an incident during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee when his cape ripped.
"I put on my cape and I was bounding down the stairs of the vestry and I caught the cape on the door latch and ripped it and this is in the afternoon, before the service.
"So, they had an emergency embroiderer who came in early in the morning to stitch it back up again."
The Dean of St Paul's has said today's thanksgiving service represents the nation "picking up the baton" from The Queen as a thank you for her years of service.
The Very Revd Dr David Ison told BBC Breakfast: "I think, for me, what this service is about, is saying not only thank you, but also we are picking up the baton of what The Queen has done. We ourselves are committing to how we can make the world a better place."
He said of the service: "I always get nervous. You can't help it because you want it to go well and therefore you're nervous to make sure it does goes well and worried about what might go wrong."
Alba Miriello, a 28-year-old postdoctoral researcher is on her second day of Jubilee celebrations, reports Helen Chandler-Wilde.
After going to the Mall yesterday she is outside St Paul’s Cathedral for the service of thanksgiving today.
She says that the Queen to her represents firm and continuous leadership in a time where there is “a lack of leadership politically”.
“She’s still very popular and she’ll have an amazing legacy”, says Ms Miriello, who lives in London.
“She sees the good in people without qualifying them into countries”, she says. “It’s a great country to be proud of".
The Bishop of London has said she is "excited" ahead of the thanksgiving service for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral.
Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally, who will be leading the blessing at St Paul's, told BBC Breakfast: "I'm excited, I think."
She added that she was nervous about the ceremonial regalia she needs to wear.
"It's a coat called the George V coat. It's quite an old coat, which is a cape and it sits on me, but of course it was designed for men because I'm the first woman who happens to be the Bishop of London," she said.
"So, it doesn't sit quite as well on me, so I'm slightly nervous."
She said that Her Majesty's Christian faith has "always shaped her" and she feels privileged to play a part in the service and "give thanks" to The Queen for her service to the country.
Post Office workers are to go on strike over the jubilee weekend in a dispute over pay.
Members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at Crown Post Offices - the larger branches often sited on high streets - will walk out on Saturday and in administration and supply chain networks on Monday.
The Archbishop of York has said that the Queen may be disappointed by the church's declining popularity.
When asked on the Today programme whether the Queen may be disappointed that less people go to Church, the Archbishop replied: "I expect that might be the case.
"What I do know for sure is that it is impossible to understand how the Queen does what she does without understanding the motivation of her faith".
He also told the programme that the Queen "wants to hear about the Christian faith" which is what has motivated her and sustained her throughout her life throughout her reign.
He added: "The Queen doesn't wear her faith on her sleeve; she wears it in her heart which is the best place to wear it".
Read: The Queen’s Christianity is the lens through which she views the world
Claire Evans has attended every jubilee event since 1977 and the prospect of not seeing the Queen on this, of all occasions, had left her bereft, writes Patrick Sawer.
“It’s just so very disappointing,” she said, standing amid the crowds which were lining the barriers outside St Paul’s from early morning.
“No one really seems to know what’s wrong with her. She was clearly having difficult walking when she lit the beacons last night. I really do feel quite worried about her.”
As a lifelong royalist Mrs Evans, 64, a retired language teacher, is worried about what will come next.
“I love the Royal family and the Queen in particular. She represents values that are enduring and she’s never swayed from them, she said. “I don’t know what it’s going to be like when she’s gone.”
Mrs Evans had come with her daughter Lauren, 38, a civil engineer, and they were both relieved Prince Andrew had pulled out of the service at St Paul’s, his only planned appearance during the jubilee, after testing positive for Covid.
Her daughter Lauren Evans said: “We dont want any drama today, so it’s just as well really. Let’s just say that his explanations were somewhat dubious.”
The momentum is gathering ahead of the thanksgiving service this morning.
Royal enthusiasts have been camping out from the early hours near St Paul's cathedral.
Mohammed Faqruddin, whose shop Sweet Box and Gifts is on Ludgate Hill – a Koh-i-Noor's-throw from St Paul's – opened early today in expectation of increased custom, reports Tom Ough.
He sells Royal merchandise as well as treats. "It will be busy today."
The items he was most likely to sell out of were his bobbing-headed figurines of the Queen (￡9.99), emblazoned with Platinum Jubilee livery. "Those and the flags," said Mr Faqruddin.
Omid Scobie, the royal commentator, told BBC Breakfast that Harry and Meghan hold a "warm and close" relationship with The Queen.
He also spoke about Lilibet's upcoming first birthday on June 4.
He said: "Those moments with Lilibet are very much private between them and the Queen" and that last evening at Windsor would have been the first time Her Majesty would have met her namesake in person.
Omid Scobie, the Royal commentator, said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to be "as low-profile as possible" during their trip to London.
He told BBC Breakfast that the couple wanted to honour and really celebrate the life and the legacy of the Queen.
"Before they arrived there was so much talk in the press about the couple potentially overshadowing the Queen herself which I think is almost impossible for anyone to do," he said.
"I spoke with people close to the couple who said that it couldn't be further from the truth," he said. "In fact they want to be as low-profile as possible during this trip".
"Yesterday at Trooping the Colour was a great example. We didn't really catch sight of them on TV cameras. There are a few grainy photos of them in existence online but that is about as far as it goes".
The service of thanksgiving for the Queen's 70-year reign will take place at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday and is a key event in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
The event will be attended by most members of the Royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who will arrive at the cathedral from 11am. However, the Queen will be notably absent.
A last-minute announcement by Buckingham Palace on Thursday night said that the Queen had decided "with great reluctance" that the journey to St Paul's and the length of the service will make it too difficult to attend.
The Duke of York will also miss the service after contracting Covid, as will the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, who is also ill with coronavirus. He will be replaced by the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell.
Read the full order of service here.
Read Lord Frost in full here
The sun is shining in London, as the second day of Platinum Jubilee celebrations get underway.
We will be steering you through the latest updates throughout the day, with the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral service being today's main point of order.
The royal family will then attend a Guildhall reception hosted by the Lord Mayor.
The Queen announced last night that she will no longer attend following "discomfort" during yesterday's celebrations.
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