I'm an Irish person in the middle of London's Jubilee celebrations

Irish woman living in England, Emma Murray, says she's 'addicted to The Crown but the real royals rarely enter my head' — her kids are helping her understand the royal fervour sweeping the country

Emma Murray is an Irish woman living in England: here's her take on the jubilee celebrations there

The Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations have kicked off here in London, and the mood is festive to say the least. On my way to meet pals for lunch in Mayfair on Thursday, a brass band suddenly struck up a dazzling rendition of Beyonce’s 'Crazy in Love' quickly attracting a sea of delighted onlookers, and later, the spectacular sight of the RAF fly-past filled the skies. Back in southwest London where I live, the normally sleepy suburbs are alive with the hustle and bustle of people preparing for the street parties ahead, their houses busily decorated with fluttering bunting, Union Jacks, and huge silver banners commemorating the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

I like a big occasion as much as the next person, but as an Irish person living in London for more than 20 years, it’s hard to get as caught up in the fascination with the monarchy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m addicted to The Crown, and I’ll eagerly click on the photos of the royals as soon as they pop up on my news feed, but other than that, the royals rarely enter my head.

So, in an attempt to understand the royal fervour sweeping the country, I turned to our two daughters, aged 11 and nine. Both have been raised in London, and are far better acquainted with the British culture than I will ever be.

"The Platinum Jubilee is to be celebrated!" they cried. "Look what the Queen’s achieved in 70 years and she’s never hurt anyone. She’s a brilliant role model and gives billions to charity."

Unprompted, they proceeded to share their strong views on Harry and Meghan’s ‘split’ from the royals, agreeing they are ‘doing the right thing’ as long as they visit the Queen now and then "because she’s not getting any younger".

A page from Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration which was distributed to school children across Britain

Now it should be noted that the pair of them recently experienced Jubilee Days in their respective schools where they were allowed to ditch their stiff, starchy uniforms in favour of Jubilee outfits in red, white, and blue — and they were treated to a picnic to boot. Thanks to Her Majesty, they’ve each had a doss day at school. But when I asked the youngest (who can be heard belting out ‘God Save the Queen’ at every given opportunity), why the country needs the royals at all, her response was instant and indignant: "Well, whose picture would be on the bank notes then?"

The thing is, the royal family has been ingrained in their culture, as much as it has been absent in mine, and listening to our girls speak so passionately and affectionately about the royals has given me more of an insight into why they are so beloved in this country.

Bunting on display at Covent Garden in central London ahead of the Queen's jubilee celebrations. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

So, this weekend, we won’t be pinning the Union Jack to our gates, or fixing bunting to our walls, but we will head to the street parties, meet faces old and new, and raise a glass to Her Majesty. Because even the most cynical bystander would be hard-pressed to deny that when it comes to grand celebrations, the royal family really knows how to bring a community together.