Nation's thanks for Queen's service (From The Oxford Times)

Nation's thanks for Queen's service

3:17am Tuesday 5th June 2012 in National News © Press Association 2013

The nation is to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee at a service of thanksgiving, but missing from the Queen's side will be the Duke of Edinburgh.

Philip is being treated in hospital for a bladder infection and will not be part of a series of events, planned to mark the Queen's 60-year milestone.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will give the sermon at the St Paul's Cathedral thanksgiving service and is expected to pay tribute to the Queen.

Gathered will be leading national figures and members of the Royal Family including Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. Meanwhile, Prime Minister David Cameron will lead the large representation from the coalition Government and other figures will include governor generals, diplomats and foreign leaders.

After the service the Queen will attend a reception at Mansion House while other senior royals including Charles and Camilla will attend a similar event at the Guildhall. At both events will be members of the thanksgiving congregation. The Queen and her family will then attend a City of London Livery companies lunch at Westminster Hall.

The highlight of the day will be a glittering carriage procession through the streets of Whitehall before the Queen and her family gather on Buckingham Palace's balcony to watch a flypast of Second World War aircraft and the Red Arrows.

At 6pm, the Queen will give a pre-recorded message of thanks for this weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in a special address broadcast.

The broadcast, lasting just over two minutes, was recorded in the Presence Room in Buckingham Palace on Monday before the Jubilee Concert. It will be transmitted on television and radio in the UK and across the Commonwealth, and will also be available on the Royal Channel on YouTube.

The Prince of Wales paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother on Monday night, following the Diamond Jubilee concert staged near Buckingham Palace. Stood on stage with the Queen a few feet away, Charles told hundreds of thousands who had gathered to watch the star-studded event that they were "celebrating the life and service of a very special person".

Celebrities attending the concert included Brian May, television presenters Floella Benjamin and Kirstie Allsopp, and ex-Bond Girl Barbara Bach. The royals stood for the final act, Sir Paul McCartney, who ran through a string of Beatles songs including Magical Mystery Tour, All My Loving and Let It Be. After Charles' speech there was a huge fireworks display fired from the roof of the palace.