A MUSICAL tribute led by Ed Sheeran, puppet corgis and a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen are to feature in the £15 million “People’s Pageant” – the carnival finale of the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee.
More than 10,000 people will be involved in staging the spectacle, including the military, more than 6000 volunteers, performers and key workers and 2500 members of the public.
The costly pageant is being “made by the people for the people” and is a “once-in-a-lifetime” experience, organisers said.
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It will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and its surrounding streets on the afternoon of Sunday June 5 – the last day of the four-day bank holiday weekend marking the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
Other features will include an aerial artist suspended under a vast helium balloon, known as a heliosphere, bearing the image of the Queen.
There will also 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.
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, which will create “humorous chaos” along The Mall.
A number of “national treasures” will take part in the finale, when Ed Sheeran (above) will appear on stage to lead a special tribute to the Queen.
Sheeran said he is looking forward to performing.
“I’m proud to be part of the celebration and it’s going to be a great opportunity to bring everyone together,” he said.
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.
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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 a military parade with 1750 people and 200 horses – one of the largest military events in modern history, according to organisers.
Organisers have set themselves a budget of £10-15m to stage the event and it is understood they have raised £15m from corporate sponsors and individuals.
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