Embassy parties for Platinum Jubilee to herald Queen’s achievement

The Israeli Chamber Orchestra would normally be associated with chart hits.

But its quartet played songs by Ed Sheeran and Adele – and special royal dishes were served to guests – as the British Embassy in Israel marked the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

There was also some – naturally enough – Queen, as well as Coldplay and tunes from James Bond.

The traditional Queen’s Birthday Party took place yesterday, Wednesday, at the British Ambassador’s residence in Ramat Gan, with a special royal theme celebrating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne.

President Herzog congratulated the Queen on the special occasion in a filmed greeting, followed by a keynote speech and toast to the queen by Minister Ayelet Shaked.

Among the guests were leader of the Opposition Benjamin Netanyahu and Mrs. Sara Netanyahu, ministers, Government officials, senior figures from Israeli Trade, economy, diplomacy and society spheres, and 750 of the Embassy’s friends and contacts.

The embassy got the local community involved in the celebrations as children from a primary school in Ramat Gan dedicated drawings to the Queen, which were posted on the gates of the British Ambassador’s Residence.

Seminar Hakibutzim art students created royal themed stage design and photo stands for the event.

All the design at the event had a royal theme, including a golden and purple royal throne, the “royal” colour purple everywhere, and a Mad Hatter-style tea party from Alice in Wonderland.

The menu was based on traditional royal dishes – Coronation chicken, which was the official dish at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953; King Edward Potatoes, a potato variety grown in the UK, which was proclaimed in 1902 at the coronation of King Edward, and Beef Wellington fillet – a dish named after Wellington’s first Duke, Arthur Wellesley.