Beaming Queen Elizabeth waves to Jubilee crowds, will miss Friday service

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Queen Elizabeth meets staff of the Crossrail project and Elizabeth Line as they mark the completion of London's Crossrail project at Paddington station in London, Britain May 17, 2022. Andrew Matthews/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) - A beaming Queen Elizabeth waved to cheering crowds massed outside Buckingham Palace on Thursday as Britain kicked off four days of pomp, parties and parades to celebrate her record-breaking 70 years on the British throne.

The 96-year-old monarch appeared on the balcony alongside her family, but the palace later said she had experienced a recurrence of mobility problems and some discomfort, and would no longer attend a Service of Thanksgiving on Friday.