Marching bands, a giant dragon puppet and circus acts will form part of a spectacular pageant to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
Central London will come to life with colour, street theatre and dance in honour of the monarch’s long reign in what has been described as “something of a reopening ceremony for the United Kingdom”.
Organisers said the event, with a budget of between £10 and £15 million and involving participants from across the UK and parts of the Commonwealth, is expected to be one of the biggest celebratory events held for decades.
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Plans for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant were revealed at the V&A Museum in London today with Pageant Master Adrian Evans detailing the highlights of next year’s celebration
The sunday pageant will comprise three acts, with the first seeing both serving troops and veterans march along The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace
Details of the pageant, to be held on Sunday June 5 next year, were revealed at the official launch in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum on Tuesday.
On February 6 2022, the Queen will have reigned as monarch for 70 years, the first time a British sovereign will have reached such a landmark.
Throughout the year, the Queen and members of the royal family will travel around the country attending a range of events to mark the milestone, culminating with the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.
Britons will enjoy a four-day bank holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as the nation marks her 70 years on the throne.
Buckingham Palace said 2022’s extended break will run from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5 after the May bank holiday – which would have been on Monday, May 30 – was pushed back.
Plans for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations have been released for the first time today as the Queen celebrates her 69th year on the British throne. Pictured, crowds outside Buckingham Palace
The four-day weekend will begin on the Thursday with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic, and a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Saturday.
Sunday’s pageant will comprise of three acts, with the first seeing both serving troops and veterans take part in a march along The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
The second act, entitled Celebration, will feature a puppet dragon larger than a double-decker bus with a wingspan the width of The Mall.
Others taking part will include a trapeze artist suspended underneath a huge balloon printed with an image of the Queen, as well as acrobats and other performers.
The specially-written fairy story There Once Is A Queen by renowned author Sir Michael Morpurgo will be brought to life through artists on the day.
On the Thursday of next year’s events, Trooping the Colour (pictured) is expected to be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic
The Queen is pictured during another celebration holding bouquets given to her by Britons
The pageant will have a nod to every decade of the Queen’s reign, and feature horses and corgis to reflect her passions.
Nicholas Coleridge, co-chairman of the pageant, said: “The Platinum Jubilee weekend is an opportunity for the country to emerge re-energised and renewed, expressing optimism and confidence.
“It will be something of a reopening ceremony for the United Kingdom, following a period of uncertainty and hardship, a catalysing moment of unity and fun.
“Through the fusion of ceremonial and pageantry with razzmatazz and festival, we intend to create a spectacle that is at once energising and memorable and a fitting tribute to the Queen.”
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Details of the pageant’s third act, the finale, are being kept secret for now.
The pageant will be privately funded, organisers said, through a mix of corporate partners, business and individuals.
The bank holiday celebration will be marked with national events including a live concert featuring some of the world’s biggest stars to a service of thanksgiving – and a day at the races.
The Queen is pictured during a previous celebration taking flowers from eager crowds
Individual members of the royal family have yet to be named in the plans but it is likely the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other members of the monarchy will attend various events.
A live concert will be staged at Buckingham Palace – Platinum Party at the Palace – during the Saturday of the long weekend. Performers have yet to be named but it is billed as bringing together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from the Queen’s seven-decade reign.
Other highlights include a day at the races for the Queen – a keen horse breeder – and her family who will fill the royal box for the Derby, held at Epsom Downs, before the concert.
The four-day weekend will begin on Thursday with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic.
