A musical tribute by Ed Sheeran, puppet corgis and a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen are all set to feature in a huge carnival to mark the final day of the Platinum Jubilee weekend. This June will see the UK enjoy an extra long bank holiday to celebrate the unprecedented anniversary, which marks the first time a British monarch has reached seven decades on the throne.
On Sunday June 5, the last day of the special four-day weekend, the “People’s Pageant” will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and its surrounding streets during the afternoon. The enormous parade is set to be watched by up to a billion people across the globe, with more than 10,000 people being involved in staging the spectacle.
Highlights will include an aerial artist suspended under a vast helium balloon, known as a heliosphere, bearing the image of the Queen Other key moments will be a giant oak tree flanked with maypole dancers, a huge moving wedding cake sounding out Bollywood hits, a towering dragon and three-storey-high beasts.
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At one stage, the Queen will be depicted in her younger days with a 20ft puppet of a youthful and carefree princess, surrounded by a pack of mischievous puppet corgis. Meanwhile Ed Sheeran will appear on stage to lead a special tribute to the Queen.
The star said: "I’m proud to be part of the celebration and it’s going to be a great opportunity to bring everyone together."
Other celebrities confirmed to be taking part throughout the day include Sir Cliff Richard, Dame Shirley Bassey, Kate Moss, Jeremy Irons, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Gary Lineker, Rosie Jones, Kadeena Cox, Alan Titchmarsh, Heston Blumenthal, James Martin, Bill Bailey and Gok Wan.
There is speculation that members of the royal family may make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the finale, which may include Prince Harry if he attends, but organisers would not comment on the rumours. Rosanna Machado, chief executive of the pageant, said: “We are liaising with the royal household about involvement of all members of the royal family and details will be released in due course.”
The event will be split into four acts: For Queen and Country, The Time of Our Lives, Let’s Celebrate, and Happy and Glorious. For Queen and Country will feature an enormous military parade with 1,750 people and 200 horses, which organisers say will be one of the largest military spectacles in modern history.
The Time of Our Lives will celebrate seven decades of culture, music and fashion, with Daleks, iconic cars from the James Bond films and celebrities such as Sir Cliff and Dame Shirley all having starring roles. The third act, Let’s Celebrate, will tell the story of the Queen’s life in 12 chapters, with nods to her corgis and her beloved horses.
During an homage to the 1953 coronation, a huge wire framed bust of the monarch will appear before the crowd. The final act, Happy and Glorious, will take place in front of the Palace with Sheeran and include the singing of the national anthem.
As preparations continue, the show's director David Zolkwer said: “This is very much a ‘People’s pageant’ – it’s by and for the people. It’s about ordinary people coming together from far and wide to do extraordinary things; real people with delightful, authentic stories to tell; taking centre stage in a spectacular performance filled with wonder, warmth, wit and so much humanity.
“It will be all about how, through the recollections and stories and experiences we share, we can see how we are all connected – through time; to each other; and to the Queen.”
