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At 10:42, following an honor guard of half a dozen elite units, the gilded state coach rumbled out of the Palace Gate, drawn by eight grand Windsor grays, each guided by a walking groom in gold-trimmed scarlet uniform. Inside the coach (originally built for George III more than 200 years ago) was the Queen, wearing the rose-pink dress with matching coat and hat she wore when she opened the Olympics in Canada last year. She looked subdued and pensive. Beside her was her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, resplendent in the dress uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet. Riding directly behind the state coach—and ahead of such quaintly titled assistants to the household as the Master of the Horse, the Crown Equerry and the Silver Stick in waiting—came Prince Charles, in the in ceremonial scarlet-tunic uniform of colonel-in-chief of the Welsh Guards. An inexpert equestrian, the heir to the throne later evoked the day's first broad smile from his mother when he required help in dismounting outside St. Paul's. Later Charles confided that it had been a marvelous day: "At least I didn't fall off my horse."
At the steps of St. Paul's, the Queen was greeted with a fanfare by the Household Cavalry's trumpeters and welcomed by the Lord Mayor of London, who was carrying his pearl sword. Throughout the 50-minute thanksgiving service, the Queen listened attentively. She seemed moved as the Most Rev. Donald Coggan, the Archbishop of Canterbury, proclaimed: "Our nation and Commonwealth have been blessed beyond measure by having at their heart an example of service untiringly done, of duty faithfully fulfilled and of a home life stable and wonderfully happy." After His Grace pronounced the blessing, the 2,700 invited guests, including 33 officials of Commonwealth countries who were in London for their eight-day conference, rose and robustly sang God Save the Queen. As voices, organ and silver trumpets rose in a crescendo, Elizabeth seemed near tears.
Melted Reserve. Outside the cathedral, the Queen's reserve melted as she engaged in one of her periodic "walkabouts" to meet her subjects. For 35 minutes she strolled slowly toward Guildhall, joking and chatting with spectators, many of whom had been in wait all night for a chance to see her. Elizabeth appeared to pay particular attention to black and brown faces in the crowd. One little girl pressed a bouquet of violets into her hands; other subjects shouted, "We love you, Liz!'"
In Guildhall, Elizabeth lunched (salmon, filet steak and melon, accompanied by hock and red Burgundy) with some 650 carefully chosen guests—the Commonwealth officials, representatives of foreign countries (Washington's envoys: President Carter's son Chip and Chip's wife Caron) and British political, commercial and cultural dignitaries. In her brief remarks, the Queen poignantly recalled that "when I was 21 I pledged my life to the service of our people, and I asked for God's help to make good that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it."