The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The Queen, Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family were aboard vessels that took part in the parade. The parade was organised by the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, and funded by private donations and sponsorship. The pageant master was Adrian Evans.
The vessels that took part included military, commercial, and pleasure craft. According to Guinness World Records, this was the largest ever parade of boats, surpassing the previous record of 327 vessels set in Bremerhaven, Germany, in 2011. Sailing vessels and others too tall to pass under the bridges were moored as an "Avenue of Sail" downstream of London Bridge with smaller craft in St Katherine Docks. Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant official site
British media organisations estimated that one million spectators watched from the banks of the Thames1,000 boats, 20,000 participants and a million onlookers, The Guardian (3 June 2012) The pageant was broadcast live by the BBC and Sky News and subsequently broadcast around the world on other networks. More than 10 million tuned into the BBC's four-and-a-half-hour coverage, with an audience average of 10.3 million.
Planning and route
The organisers of the pageant were the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, chaired by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, with Michael Lockett as the Chief Executive of the Pageant and Pageant Master, Adrian Evans. Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant Official Website. (accessed 12 June 2012) Other bodies involved in the organisation included the Port of London Authority, the RNLI, the Metropolitan Police, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Environment Agency.
The pageant was planned with inspiration from a painting by the 18th-century Venetian painter, Canaletto.Canaletto Masterpiece, Ross Lydall, London Evening Standard, 24 April 2012 (accessed 24 April 2012) The painting Lord Mayor's Day on the Thames depicts a flotilla against a background of London, including St Paul's Cathedral. The painting was loaned for an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich from the Lobkowicz Collections, Prague.
The pageant took a route from Wandsworth to Tower Bridge. From the launch at Cadogan Pier, the flotilla travelled under 14 of London's Thames bridges – Chelsea Bridge, Grosvenor Bridge, Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Westminster Bridge, Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges, Waterloo Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Blackfriars Railway Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Cannon Street Railway Bridge, London Bridge, and Tower Bridge.
The Thames was closed to normal navigation. To help ensure smooth conditions, particularly for the many rowed craft, the organisers had arranged for the annual high tide test closure of the Thames Barrier to take place on the same day as the parade.Note: The barrier closure for the pageant enabled it to be tested for longer than normal, and with a higher water level upstream than downstream.
Projected timings Bridge Time (BST) Battersea Bridge 14:25 Albert Bridge 14:45 Chelsea Bridge 15:00 Vauxhall Bridge 15:10 Westminster Bridge 15:25 Waterloo Bridge 15:30 Blackfriars Bridge 15:40 Southwark Bridge 15:45 London Bridge 15:50 Tower Bridge 16:00
Flotilla sections
The flotilla proceeded in sections preceded by Music Herald Barges: Royal Jubilee Bells Man-powered boats Academy of Ancient Music Royal Squadron, with Spirit of Chartwell carrying the Queen. Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines Plymouth Dunkirk Little Ships Shree Muktajeevan Pipe Band and Dhol Ensemble Historic boats The Jubilant Commonwealth Choir Service, steam and working vessels Leisure vessels New Water Music Narrowboats and barges Mayor's Jubilee Band Passenger boats Rhythm on the River Downriver passenger boats London Philharmonic Orchestra (on board Bateaux London's vessel Symphony)
Parade
The Queen and the Royal Family At approximately 14:15, the Royal Launch from carried Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to the royal barge , which was moored at Cadogan Pier, slightly downstream of the Albert Bridge. The Spirit of Chartwell, a motor vessel with a top speed of , was donated as the royal barge for the pageant and enhanced over the course of a year with symbols and ciphers that referred to the coronation, the Commonwealth and the Gold State Coach, and had a crown displayed on the bow. The royal barge was further decorated for the occasion with thousands of flowers and plants, and hung with drapery with the arms of Commonwealth countries. The royal party, of the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, stood on the upper deck of the vessel, under a gilt canopy decorated with red drapery, in the style of royal barges of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The Queen was attended by Lady Susan Hussey, her lady-in-waiting for more than 50 years; her deputy private secretary, Edward Young; her equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rex; and waterman, Christopher Livett. Other guests on the barge included Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London; Kamalesh Sharma, the Commonwealth Secretary-General; Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, historian Simon Schama and Sir Donald Gosling with his partner Gabriella Di Nora.Diamond Jubilee Pageant Guests, The Telegraph, 3 June 2012
Fashion
The Queen wore an ensemble designed by royal couturier Angela Kelly, comprising dress, coat, hat and shawl. The coat, which had a pleated frill at the front and neck, was of ivory boucle, decorated with gold, silver and ivory paillettes and Swarovski crystals. The matching hat had a small cockade of feathers in gold, silver and ivory, each trimmed with a crystal. Her jewels were the diamond starburst "Jardine brooch", a three-strand pearl necklace, and pearl earrings that had belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. The Duchess of Cornwall wore a cream ensemble with sleeves decorated with gold paillettes, by Anna Valentine, and a hat by Philip Treacy. Her jewellery was a four-strand pearl-and-diamond choker. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a scarlet long-sleeved dress with pleated skirt by Alexander McQueen with matching hat by Sylvia Fletcher, of royal milliner James Lock & Co., and carried a red satin clutch bag.Kate the Scarlet Lady, Anne Gripper, Mirror, 4 June 2012 She wore a brooch with two dolphins, the symbol of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. The Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh wore a printed dress by Emilia Wickstead. Princess Beatrice wore a silver and navy dress by Susannah, a navy blue coat by Marni, and pink and silver hat by Stephen Jones. Princess Eugenie wore a dress by Roland Mouret in coral pink, teamed with a Moschino cardigan, and Stephen Jones hat. Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence wore Royal Navy uniforms of various ranks. The Duke of Cambridge wore the uniform of a Royal Air Force flight lieutenant, and Prince Harry wore the uniform of a captain in the British Army's Blues and Royals along with the blue beret of the Army Air Corps.
Fleet The procession of boats, which was long, was formed up in sections, each led by a "Herald Music Barge" carrying ensembles playing music of different genres. The procession took approximately 90 minutes to pass any given point on the river, while it was recorded as comprising 670 vessels of various types, both historic and modern. Participating vessels came mainly from the UK with some Commonwealth, and a few non-Commonwealth participants. They ranged from rowing boats to sail and steam-powered vessels with historic vessels including many of the surviving Dunkirk little ships, a Māori waka (war canoe) which was present at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and the tall ship Amazon which was present at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Royal Fleet Review. Also taking part was the gig St Michael's Mount State Barge which was rowed rather than sailed down the river. Built around 1740, it is believed to be the oldest operational boat in the world and had ferried Queen Victoria in 1846. The start of the pageant was signalled by a whistle from steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth on Battersea Railway Bridge. The Royal Family watched the beginning of the parade from the moored royal barge. Leading the pageant was a floating belfry fitted with eight bells, newly cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry for the Church of St James Garlickhythe. Named after the eight senior members of the Royal Family and granted the title "The Royal Jubilee Bells", their sound was answered by churches along the route and around the UK.
Man-powered vessels The section of man-powered boats set the pace for the pageant, and was led by the Gloriana, a rowing barge privately commissioned as a tribute to the Queen for the 2012 Jubilee. Built in the classicising style of 18th-century royal barges and decorated with gold leaf, she will be given to the Queen after the pageant. The Gloriana carried ten flags, among them those representing the four home nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the flag of the City of London and the flag of Cornwall. She was powered by 18 rowers, including Olympic medallists Steve Redgrave, Matthew Pinsent, and Guin and Miriam Batten. The flotilla of rowed vessels which followed included the Royal Shallop Jubilant, Waterman's cutters, of the City Livery Companies, Skiffs from Thames skiff and punting clubs, Gigs from coastal rowing clubs, kayaks, gondolas, dragon boats, replica Viking longships, and a jolly boat full of pirates. A separate fleet of 50 safety boats, provided by the charity Northern Exposure Rescue, escorted the man-powered vessels from Putney Embankment to South Dock. The charity was selected especially due to their involvement in the annual Great River Race.
Royal convoy Preceding the Royal Convoy, were fifty five dinghies, which sailed in diamond formation, each bearing the flag of a Commonwealth Country and carrying Sea Cadets from the UK, Bermuda and Hong Kong.Bernews, Cadets take part in Diamond Jubilee Pageant, (3 June 2012) (Retrieved 6 June 2012)
The Spirit of Chartwell joined the procession, preceded by the Trinity House No 1 Boat, carrying the Princess Royal, as pilot vessel, and convoyed by two escort boats from the retired Royal Yacht Britannia, and naval and military vessels. She was accompanied by the Connaught, carrying the officers of the College of Arms, the Court of the Lord Lyon, and the Canadian Heraldic Authority. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and their families followed on board the Havengore, which in 1965 had carried the body of Sir Winston Churchill along the Thames.Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, List of vessels taking part As the parade passed the National Theatre, the life-sized puppet horse from the play War Horse appeared on the roof as a salute to the Queen, who was visibly delighted.Long May She Reign, Richard Palmer, Daily Express. (4 June 2012)
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