Celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II Platinum jubilee have been taking place since Thursday. The celebrations will culminate in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant – a £15m carnival finale to the Jubilee celebrations. On Sunday afternoon a parade of more than 10,000 people will begin with the chiming of bells at Westminster Abbey – to mirror the Queen’s coronation. Along a 3km route from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace, an army of volunteers, dancers, musicians and members of the military will tell the story of her 70-year reign. The Gold State Coach, used only for coronations and jubilees and not seen on the streets of London since 2002, will be at the heart of the parade and led by the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry. Built in 1762, this time the coach will not carry the Queen, but original archive footage of her coronation day projected from each window.
The pageant will be divided into four acts: For Queen and Country, The Time of Our Lives, Let’s Celebrate, and Happy and Glorious. The first will feature a military parade of 1,750 people and 200 horses – one of the largest spectacles in British history – from the Army, Navy, RAF and the Commonwealth.
The second act “The time of our lives” is a “vibrant display of British life since 1972” and a celebration of the culture, music and technology of the last 70 years. From double-decker buses to Daleks, Time of Our Lives will also feature some of James Bond’s most iconic cars and a showcase of fashion from the Teddy Boys to punks and acid house ravers. Around 150 “national treasures” are taking part, with names including Gary Lineker, Bill Bailey, Alan Titchmarsh, Sir Cliff Richard Tony Blackburn, Torvill and Dean, cast of Mamma Mia and Abba.
The third section, Let’s Celebrate, will tell the story of the Queen’s life in 12 chapters, with a nod to her corgis and her beloved horses. At one stage, the Queen will be imagined in her younger days with a 20ft puppet of a youthful princess surrounded by a pack of mischievous puppet corgis. It will also feature a 21ft-tall puppet dragon with a wingspan as wide as the Mall, while her purple and white coronation robe will be recreated by 80 dancers flanked by twirling “baianas”. The Queen’s 1947 wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh will be marked by a giant four-tier wedding cake baked by acrobatic cooks on the move. The cake, which will be followed by Bollywood dancers, will house a sound system playing a medley of Asian music, as a tribute to the coming together of people across the UK and Commonwealth.
The final act “Happy and Glorious” will take place in front of the palace, around the Queen Victoria Memorial where members of the public will be invited to join and sing the national anthem, which will be led by a gospel choir and the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines. Ed Sheeran will end the celebrations with a musical tribute. He said: “I am looking forward to performing in June. I’m proud to be part of the celebration and it’s going to be a great opportunity to bring everyone together.”
For those not in London, before the parade, Britons will be encouraged to take part in the Big Jubilee Lunch – an annual event that began in 2009 to bring communities together. Taking the form of picnics, BBQs and tea and cake, more than 60,000 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches throughout the weekend so far, including one vying to set the world record for the longest ever street party. One will also be held at The Oval in London with a “specially-invited audience”.
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