A Singaporean woman has been chosen to portray the Queen at the Platinum Jubilee pageant on 5 June.
Janice Ho, 22, is currently enrolled at the London Contemporary Dance School and will open the “Let’s Celebrate” part of the show, portraying a young Princess Elizabeth before she became Queen.
The event’s organisers, led by co-chairs Sir Michael Lockett and Nicolas Coleridge CBE, said they were inspired by the colour-blind casting of Bridgerton after actors from diverse backgrounds were cast to play white characters in the Netflix regency drama.
Angie Bual, the artistic director of Trigger arts group, which is producing the dance, said that Ho’s casting is a “reflection of the make-up of Britain and London today” in a statement toThe Times, adding that the young dancer had landed the Queen’s role on the basis of her “dynamic” performance in the open auditions.
Bual added: “The Queen is such a role model, obviously in this country and internationally, and I think we need to role model all types of diversity. It is a reflection of the make-up of Britain and London today.”
Meanwhile, Ho revealed she would portray Princess Elizabeth with a “sense of light-heartedness”.
“I’m really excited to be able to perform to such a big crowd in countries across the Commonwealth,” she told The Sunday Telegraph, adding: “London is such a diverse place and being able to represent that is such a great opportunity.”
The dance, reportedly titled “Princess and the Dragon”, will feature a 14-ft tall dragon puppet which symbolises Princess Elizabeth’s imminent power and responsibility after her father, King George VI.
In addition to Ho’s performance, puppet corgis, a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen and a musical tribute led by Ed Sheeran are also part of the programming for the “People’s Pageant”, as the carnival finale of the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations is known.
Other celebrities confirmed to be participating in the spectacle include Sir Cliff Richard, Jeremy Irons, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, Gary Lineker, Rosie Jones, Kadeena Cox, Alan Titchmarsh, Heston Blumenthal, James Martin, Bill Bailey and Gok Wan.
Over 10,000 people will be involved in staging the celebration, including more than 6,000 volunteers and performers, the military, and 2,500 members of the public.
The event will take place outside Buckingham Palace and the surrounding streets on the afternoon of Sunday 5 June, the last day of the four-day bank holiday weekend marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
