All aboard for the Queen's great Jubilee jamboree | Mail Online
MailOnline 28 May 2012
All aboard for the Queen's great Jubilee jamboree
as the nation gears up to celebrate the monarchy
From Wick to Wadebridge, the bunting is going up. The global media herd is already filling Heathrow’s clogged arteries. And a week ahead of one of the most colourful and jolly weekends in living memory, one question grows ever louder: Where do I watch it? Hence, the Daily Mail is proud to offer its readers the definitive guide to the great Diamond Jubilee Long Weekend.
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The whole pageant lines up for several miles west of Battersea Bridge, where it all begins at 2.40pm. It will then continue for seven miles to Tower Bridge, with every section of the flotilla led by its own floating orchestra or ‘herald barge’.
The ebbing tide would normally make things much faster, but the authorities have decided this is a perfect day to give the Thames Barrier its annual MoT. The mighty sluice gate will be fully raised to calm the currents.
The Queen joins the party soon after 2pm at Chelsea Harbour Pier, where, with Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, she boards the launch from the dearly departed Royal Yacht — her first reunion with her old runaround since Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. She then proceeds downriver to Cadogan Pier, where she jumps ship to the Spirit of Chartwell, a specially converted Thames sightseeing boat that will serve as the Royal Barge.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with Prince Harry, will be waiting on deck, while the rest of the Royal Family will be scattered across other vessels, including Havengore, the launch best-known for its role in Sir Winston Churchill’s state funeral.
At Cadogan Pier, the Queen will see the great floating belfry set sail, bells clanging, followed by the 265 man-powered vessels. All will ‘toss oars’ — raise their oars in salute — as they pass her.
Next come 54 rowing boats with the flags of the Commonwealth, followed by a ‘herald barge’ with the trumpeters of the Royal Marines. At this point, the Royal Barge joins the procession and leads all the motorised craft through the capital. As the Queen reaches Tower Bridge, those mighty arms will lift in salute and she comes to a halt on the other side. There she will view the rest of the vast cavalcade as it comes honking, parping, waving and saluting its way past her.
The Times in their report on Charles's visit says that he rang both the Elizabeth and Charles bells and said, "there's nothing like a good bong", which can mean more than one thing.
