The Queen’s platinum jubilee has seen plenty of exciting events so far, including a big open-air concert yesterday featuring the likes of Queen with Adam Lambert, George Ezra, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, and Diana Ross. However, there are still opportunities to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years of service.
One of the significant proceedings taking place today is the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. The pageant will take the form of a parade through the middle of central London, with more than 10,000 people expected to be involved.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant will be made up of four acts: “For Queen and Country”, “The Time of Our Lives”, “Let’s Celebrate”, and “Happy and Glorious”. Each act will tell the story of the Queen’s seventy-year reign and chronicle the changes in British society over the same period.
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What time does the Jubilee Pageant start?
The parade will begin at 2.30 pm and conclude at around 5pm. It will start on Whitehall and finish outside Buckingham Palace around Queen Victoria Memorial.
Where to watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant?
If you happen to be in central London, the parade is free to attend with no ticket necessary. The whole route is available on the Platinum Jubilee Pageant's website beginning on Whitehall.
The Jubilee parade will be broadcast live on the BBC, with coverage starting at 1 pm on BBC One. Other broadcasters like Sky and ITV are also expected to cover the event.
What to expect from the Platinum Jubilee Pageant?
Each of the four parts of the parade has a specific theme. The opening act, For Queen and Country, will be a military spectacle, described as “celebrating the UK Armed Forces from all three Services, along with military personnel from across the Commonwealth including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan, Ghana, Belize, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and beyond”.
The Time of Our Lives will chronicle the changes in British society since the Queen has been on the throne, with the Platinum Jubilee website stating: “With a cast of thousands, each decade is brought to life through the popular music and dance styles, fashion, youth culture and classic vehicles of the times.” Celebrities scheduled to be involved include Sir Cliff Richard, Heston Blumenthal, Rosie Jones, Kadeena Cox, Alan Titchmarsh, James Martin, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and Gary Lineker.
The third part of the parade, Let’s Celebrate, will “mash street theatre, music-on-the-move, urban dance, and the very best of Carnival, May Day, Mela, Fiesta and Mardi Gras to celebrate The Queen’s extraordinary life experience” and will feature contributions from arts organisations like Trigger, Shademakers, and Nutkhut.
The final part of the parade promises “a finale like no other” that will take place around the Queen Victoria Memorial and include the singing of the national anthem. Expect appearances from Jeremy Irons, Bill Bailey, Gok Wan and Ed Sheeran.
