Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

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Spectacular military parades, street parties up and down the country, drone and light shows at Buckingham Palace, and a surprising starring turn from Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear: Britain's four-day Platinum Jubilee extravaganza was one long party demonstrating the extraordinary popularity of the monarch after 70 years on the throne.

Across the pond in Richmond, a group of British ex-pats were joined by family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the 96-year-old queen with a much smaller -- but no less celebratory -- tea party.

On Sunday, Jenny Cotton -- along with her daughter Penny Cotton -- hosted a group of more than 25 guests for a garden party at Jenny Cotton's home in Richmond.

Union Jack's, the national flag of the United Kingdom, were displayed with pride on everything from serving napkins to pillows. A cutout of a Buckingham Palace guard directed guests to the garden, where canopied tables were laid with tea sets and serving dishes from Cotton's own collection -- as well as friend's and family member's loaned for the occasion. Tea cups of numerous patterns dotted the tables and were filled with various teas, Pimm's gin cocktails, and lemonade.

A large flag bearing the likeness of Queen Elizabeth watched over the Cotton's guests as they were served numerous courses from a menu which consisted of traditional British afternoon tea cuisine such as scones, trifles, tea sandwiches, tarts, shortbread, and Victoria Sponge Cake.

Jenny Cotton, who has lived in the states for 10 years, said she never imagined her idea of throwing a party in honor of the queen's jubilee would resonate with so many of her American friends and neighbors.

"Obviously, we are English, and we wanted to be part of the celebrations going on back home," Jenny Cotton explained on Sunday. "We have a huge family back in England, and they are all celebrating it, and I thought, 'We will throw a little tea party.'"

"It just got bigger and bigger," Jenny Cotton said with a laugh. "Everybody was wanting to come, so we thought 'Right, we will do it.'"

Jenny Cotton said she was also surprised by her guests who honored the occasion by dressing up and wearing large hats.

"One of the things is, everyone wanted to wear a hat and dress up. I told them they could wear whatever they wanted, but they wanted to dress up. I'm really pleased about it. I think they've enjoyed it as much as I have," she remarked.

Jenny Cotton said it was wonderful to share the jubilee festivities with so many of her friends in America.

"It's been lovely," Jenny Cotton said of the response. "Ever since we've been here, they've embraced us with open arms. My neighbors are phenomenal."

The hostess said the event was a lot of work, but was grateful for her daughter and their friend's help in decorating and cooking the menu items.

"I mostly did all the baking, it's really Penny who set up all this up," Jenny Cotton said with a smile.

Jenny Cotton said the queen's jubilees are always festive occasions in Britain and she has fond memories of each of Queen Elizabeth's past jubilee celebrations.

"We used to have huge street parties," she explained. "Those were the big thing when the children were little."

The hostess said the jubilee celebrations gives those in her homeland a chance to celebrate being British and show support for the long-reigning monarch.

"It's hard to think that -- to have a monarch reign for 70 years. She always remained constant, she's focused. I love the queen," Jenny Cotton said.

Linda Black, who hails from the north of England, shared with party-goers her memory of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation.

"When I was 11 years old, I can remember attending the street party for her coronation. Her father died in 1952, because it was sudden, they couldn't crown her queen. She became queen, but she wasn't crowned. So it wasn't until June of the next year, she was actually crowned. At school, we were all given coronation mugs and had coronation parties," Black recalled.

Penny Cotton said the Sunday jubilee party was a great experience for her mother and their friends.

"It's been wonderful to see everyone and celebrate. We are just really happy to be able to share it with everyone," she said.

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