Thames extravaganza for Queen's jubilee

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her diamond jubilee with a boat trip on London's River Thames in a newly crafted barge, leading a flotilla of 1,000 ships.

queen_leibovitz_L_110210_ap_1488798955
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her diamond jubilee with a boat trip on London's River Thames in a newly crafted barge, leading a flotilla of 1,000 ships, the event's organisers said.

The aquatic pageant, the biggest on the river for 350 years, will take place on June 3 next year, a public holiday created to celebrate the Queen's 60 years on the British throne.

The monarch would travel from Putney, in the British capital's west, to the central Tower Bridge in a barge refurbished to look like an 18th century galley, the event's organisers, Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, revealed.

Robert Salisbury, the group's chairman, said the Queen was "enthusiastic" about the multi-million pound event and the lord added it was "very important for younger members of the royal family to play a prominent part."

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who wed on April 29, are expected to join in along with Prince Harry.

London Mayor Boris Johnson, spoke of his excitement during the event's launch at his City Hall office.

"It's going to be amazing," Johnson said. "It's going to be the biggest thing done on the river since the days of Charles II, and from the response we're getting it might be even bigger.

"We will have something that everyone will enjoy and (it) celebrates the thing that made London the most important wonder of the world," added the mayor.

"If it hadn't been for the River Thames, London would not have achieved its importance."

The celebration is expected to attract tourists attending the London 2012 Olympics, which begin on July 27.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP

Tags

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Thames extravaganza for Queen's jubilee | SBS News