About 22,000 people and millions more at home were yesterday expected at a musical celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s historic platinum jubilee.
The “Platinum Party at the Palace” is the highlight of the third day of public events to mark the 96-year-old queen’s record-breaking 70 years on the British throne.
Motown legend Diana Ross was a star attraction at the event, held on a purpose-built 360-degree stage outside the monarch’s central London residence, Buckingham Palace.
Photo: AP
The concert also featured artists including Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli and James Bond composer Hans Zimmer, in a marked shift in tone from the jubilee’s first two days.
Celebrations began on Thursday with the pomp and pageantry of a military parade to mark the sovereign’s official birthday.
Friday’s focus was a traditional Church of England service of thanksgiving led by senior royals — and returning Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan — in the hallowed surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Photo: AP
Yesterday’s concert, which was broadcast live by the BBC on radio, television and online, was no less grand in scale.
The queen was not expected to attend the more than two-hour-long concert, but was to watch it on TV at Windsor Castle outside London.
She made two public appearances to huge crowds from the Buckingham Palace’s balcony on Thursday, before traveling to Windsor Castle for a beacon-lighting ceremony.
The effort, after months battling difficulties walking and standing, left her in “some discomfort,” Buckingham Palace said.
It led to her withdrawing from Friday’s church service and an expected appearance at a horse racecourse near Windsor for the Epsom Derby Stakes.
Her no-show at the event was only the fourth time the keen horse racing fan, rider and breeder has missed the race since 1952.
She did not attend in 2020, when spectators were banned due to COVID-19.
Her heir, Prince Charles, 73, and his eldest son, Prince William, 39, were expected to attend the concert instead.
Thursday and Friday were made public holidays to mark the unprecedented landmark, which has focused attention on the monarchy’s future without her.
Longer pub opening hours, street parties and other events celebrating the queen’s central place in the life of most Britons temporarily lifted the gloom of a soaring cost of living crisis.
Today is expected to see more than 10 million people share food at “Big Jubilee Lunch” picnics, and a musical and creative public pageant involving 10,000 people.
Pop star Ed Sheeran is to round off the celebrations today, singing his 2017 hit Perfect at the end of the pageant.
The singer-songwriter, 31, has said that the “Party at the Palace” to mark the queen’s golden jubilee in 2002 inspired his musical career.
Watching on TV, he saw singer-songwriter Eric Clapton play Layla and decided “that’s what I wanna do,” Sheeran, who went on to perform at the queen’s diamond jubilee concert 10 years ago, wrote on Instagram.
“Life is weird how it keeps coming full circle in lovely ways,” he added.
Ross’ performance is her first in the UK in 15 years and comes before she heads to the Glastonbury Festival later this month.
The 78-year-old diva said she was “absolutely delighted to receive an invitation to perform on such a momentous occasion.”
Prince Charles previously revealed that her 1980 disco hit Upside Down was one of his favorites.
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