Queen makes surprise appearance on Buckingham Palace balcony at jubilee celebrations finale

The monarch’s appearance concludes the special four-day celebration

The Queen has appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as the platinum jubilee pageant comes to an end.

Her Majesty’s appearance was expected after the royal standard was raised above the palace on Sunday.

The crowd roared with cheers as the Queen stepped out on to the balcony clutching a walking stick.

The 96-year-old monarch was dressed in an all-green ensemble, accessorised with her signature pearl necklaces.

The appearance lasted just three minutes, but allowed plenty of time for the crowd to sing the national anthem.

The Queen held a walking stick as she looked out from the palace (Getty Images)

The Queen was joined by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and three of her great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The appearance has garnered an emotional response from social media users across the UK.

“Powerful images and a reminder that the future is in good hands,” one wrote.

Another said: “I was in Covent Garden when the Queen appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace and you could hear the cheer from there! Extraordinary!”

“Lump in throat moment for sure. I’ll never forget it. Historical moment,” a third person said.

The Queen was last seen during Thursday’s Trooping the Colour ceremony, when she was joined by other members of the royal family to watch a Royal Air Force flypast.

Her Majesty’s appearance rounded off the four-day spectacle in celebration of her 70-year reign (Reuters)

Her appearance on Sunday comes as a surprise after she pulled out of the Service of Thanksgiving and Epsom Derby over the weekend.

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace announced that the monarch would not attend the service at St Paul’s Cathedral after experiencing “some discomfort” during the Trooping the Colour festivities.

“Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty, with great reluctance, has concluded that she will not attend,” the statement said.

“The Queen is looking forward to participating in tonight’s beacon-lighting event at Windsor Castle, and would like to thank all those who made today such a memorable occasion.”

The Queen also carried a walking stick, gifted to her by the British army, during her appearance on the balcony on Thursday.

Sunday’s events mark the end of a four-day spectacle in celebration of the Queen’s historic 70-year reign.

The long weekend also included the lighting of the royal beacons on Thursday evening, a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s on Friday, and the BBC’s Party at the Palace on Saturday evening.

While the Queen did not attend Saturday night’s event, she did make a virtual appearance. The crowd were shown a playful skit which saw the Queen sit down for tea with Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw.