- Celebrations for the Queen's 70th year on the throne have started across the UK.
- Insider's lifestyle reporters attended an event on Saturday, and it was far from glamorous.
- Arriving felt like going through airport security, there was a lot of horse dung, and it was hot.
Two of Insider's reporters went to a royal event celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which marks her 70 years on the throne. It was held outside the Old Admiralty building near Buckingham Palace in London.
Trooping the Colour is an annual parade of royal officers, horses, and musicians who come together for the Queen's birthday. This particular event was the first in a series of three marking the monarch's Platinum Jubilee and was overseen by Major General C J Ghika.
Source: The Royal Family website, The British Army
Neither reporter had attended a royal event before but both expected some pomp and fanfare for the occasion.
When Insider's reporters first arrived at 9:45 a.m. ahead of the 10 a.m. start time, it didn't look like a lot of people turned out for the spectacle.
It was odd seeing some Londoners going about their usual Saturday activities while the event was on.
It wasn't clear where the event was held, and staff weren't always helpful when it came to giving directions or timings. The event's organizers did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
It took over 5,000 steps to get from Green Park, the closest tube station to Buckingham Palace, to the event. It made for a tiring walk.
Changing footwear into shoes appropriate for the formal dress code wasn't glamorous — and one Insider reporter got a blister from rushing to the event.
The line to get into the event had upwards of 300 people and some attendees didn't make it inside the event grounds at Horse Guards Parade until 10:30 a.m.
Some people followed the formal dress code of the event, and some didn't.
Some attendees didn't even know what they were attending — one person Insider's reporters spoke to thought he was going to a horse show.
Getting checked in felt like going through airport security.
There was horse dung everywhere, leaving a distinct smell in the air.
Inside the event, a massive puddle of water looked dreary next to the parading royal officers.
There was nowhere for people who bought standing-only tickets to put their bags except for the damp ground.
There was no shade, even for attendees with seated tickets in the bleachers.
There was no food or drink available to buy, so some people brought their own.
Insider's reporters got sunburned and dehydrated without shade or water.
When spectators stood for the national anthem, some bleachers collapsed, leaving three people hospitalized and two treated at the scene by paramedics. The rest of the stand was safely evacuated, an Army spokesperson told The Guardian.
Attendees needed to have cash in order to buy the event brochure, which explained all the ceremonial procedures.
A royal carriage arrived but it was impossible to see whether the Queen was inside.
It was hard to take the royal ceremony seriously with children shouting: "Mommy, the horse pooped."
And people didn't quite know when to stand up and clap as the parade went on.
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