In Britain, there are several traditional elements to : pageants, street parties, the Sex Pistols.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Pistols have been linked since the punk pioneers released the song 鈥淕od Save the Queen鈥� during the 1977 Silver Jubilee that marked the monarch鈥檚 25 years on the throne.
The anti-authoritarian anthem 鈥� not to be confused with the actual British national anthem of the same name 鈥� has been re-released for , or 70 years as queen. It鈥檚 one of a raft of cultural tie-ins 鈥� critics might say cash-ins 鈥� .
Members of the band that rhymed 鈥淕od save the queen鈥� with 鈥渇ascist regime鈥� and 鈥渟he ain鈥檛 no human being鈥� have mellowed over the years.
鈥淚鈥檓 not against it,鈥� Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones said of Britain鈥檚 four-day jubilee extravaganza, which starts Thursday and includes military parades, concerts, picnics and .
鈥淚 see all the flags are up everywhere,鈥� Jones said while visiting London from Los Angeles, where he has lived for more than 30 years. 鈥淚 mean, it鈥檚 entertaining stuff. Tourists just absolutely love it.鈥�
Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, formerly known as Johnny Rotten, recently told broadcaster Talk TV he was 鈥渞eally, really proud of the queen for surviving and doing so well.鈥�
It鈥檚 a far cry from 1977, when 鈥淕od Save the Queen鈥� was launched on the jubilee weekend with an anarchic Sex Pistols gig on a riverboat 鈥� the Queen Elizabeth 鈥� that was cut short by London police.
The song sparked outrage; members of the band were attacked in the street and it was banned from radio or television airplay. It nonetheless reached No. 2 in the charts, below Rod Stewart鈥檚 鈥淚 Don鈥檛 Want to Talk About It鈥� 鈥� though rumors persist that the Sex Pistols鈥� song actually sold more copies.
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The band鈥檚 record company hopes it hits No. 1 this time, though it failed to dent the charts when re-released for the queen鈥檚 Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
Other cultural institutions are also getting in on the jubilee action. Auctioneer Christie鈥檚 is selling two Andy Warhol screen prints of the queen. Rival Sotheby鈥檚 is offering a lightbox portrait of the queen by Chris Levine and Jamie Reid鈥檚 now-iconic artwork for the Pistols鈥� 鈥淕od Save the Queen,鈥� showing the monarch鈥檚 face covered in ransom-note lettering.
Many museums and galleries have special exhibitions and events. Some are quirky, such as a jubilee-themed Drag Queen Bingo that London鈥檚 Horniman Museum is holding.
Britain鈥檚 monarchy has a sometimes awkward, but increasingly close, relationship with popular culture. Who can forget the queen鈥檚 scene with Daniel Craig鈥檚 James Bond during the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony, which culminated in a stunt double for the monarch skydiving into the stadium?
Pop music 鈥� nothing too edgy 鈥� is playing a central part in this week鈥檚 jubilee festivities. A concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday will feature artists including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross, while Ed Sheeran is due to perform at on Sunday.
Television series 鈥淭he Crown鈥� has mined the queen鈥檚 long reign for drama, and blurred the lines between fact and fiction for millions of viewers. The Sex Pistols are having their own fact-meets-fiction moment with 鈥淧istol,鈥� a Danny Boyle-directed miniseries based on Jones鈥� memoir 鈥淟onely Boy.鈥�
The Sex Pistols split in 1978 after releasing one album. Jones says he鈥檇 鈥渏ust had enough. It was so dark and horrible at that point.鈥�
But he is proud of the band鈥檚 legacy, even if he sometimes sounds weary talking about it.
鈥淚t was an important time in music and I鈥檓 glad it happened,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淏ecause it made people think, and it made people think, 鈥榃ell I can do that.鈥� Prior to that living in England, you didn鈥檛 have many options.鈥�
But, Jones added: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 particularly listen to punk rock anymore. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years, you know, and I鈥檓 66 years old. I鈥檓 not a kid anymore. I think it would be a bit silly if I was still flying that flag.鈥�
鈥淚 like Steely Dan,鈥� he said. 鈥淚s that bad?鈥�
Pistols bassist Sid Vicious died in 1979 at age 21, but the surviving members have reunited sporadically for concerts. Lydon and his former bandmates faced off in court earlier this year when the singer tried to stop the group鈥檚 music being used in the 鈥淧istol鈥� TV series.
A further musical reunion 鈥� perhaps for the queen鈥檚 75-year anniversary in 2027 鈥� seems unlikely.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 see it,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淏ut you never know, man. This band 鈥� you never know.鈥�
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Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
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