On The 6th of February 2012, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will have reigned for 60 glorious years. She never celebrates this day, as she quietly remembers her father's death on this day in 1952. But in June the world will come to London to celebrate. Yesterday the palace released detailed information about the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday the 3 June. The flotilla of boats will be seven miles long, the most extravagant display on the river since Charles 11 s pageant in 1662. It will take and hour and a half to pass any point and at the centre will be the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, on a Royal Barge of red and gold.
What I had not realised is that not only will it be a splendid sight but will be accompanied by splendid sounds. As the bell tower pases, the chimes of the Royal Jubilee bells will be answered by church bells near the river, and trumpeters will sound a fanfare as the Royal Barge approaches each bridge. As well as waterborne bands and nautical choirs performing everything from military marches to English folk sonfs. Of course Handel's Water Music will be performed to serenade the Royal Barge as was the barge of George I serenaded in 1716.
The £10million to fund the pageant has come from individual donors and commercial sponsors, and no they are not allowed to commercialise the event. So why give so much money for no marketing return. Well I would have said that the nation admires, loves, and respects Queen Elizabeth II and she is worth every penny.
For those of you who wish to join the celebrations More Than Good Manners has created programmes for the Royal Jubilee Weekend, and for Royal Jubilee London and Royal Jubilee Norfolk, these will give you a real taste for English History in the making.
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