A Platinum Jubilee show to unite us all ...but will Queen be on palace balcony?
A SINGAPOREAN dancer will portray a young Princess Elizabeth at the grand finale of the Platinum Jubilee, after organisers opted for diversity “Bridgerton casting”.
But the Queen’s appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the Jubilee grand finale on Sunday June 5 is “by no means guaranteed”, it was claimed last night.
It was hoped the monarch, 96, who has had mobility issues, might join key royals on the iconic balcony overlooking The Mall.
However, aides now are devising a “Plan B”, fearing she may struggle to climb up in order to be cheered by the nation.
An insider said: “It could still happen, but it is by no means guaranteed that we will see the Queen on the balcony during the Jubilee.”
Audition
Janice Ho, 22, will open the Let’s Celebrate section of the pageant, dancing down The Mall with a dragon puppet as the Princess on the cusp of becoming Queen.
The pageant will include other “carnival queens” – the oldest is 90 – and a drag artist named Cheddar Gorgeous. Organisers hope it will unite multi-cultural Britain in the same way as the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
Thrilled Janice, a student at the London Contemporary Dance School, was chosen for her first professional role after an open audition. Arts group Trigger, behind the pageant act, said it was a result of “Bridgerton casting” – referring to the diverse racial background of actors in the Netflix period drama.
Janice, whose mother is flying to London for her big day, said: “I’m really excited to be able to perform to such a big crowd in countries across the Commonwealth.
“London is such a diverse place and being able to represent that is such a great opportunity.”
She said it was very important to her that aspiring actors from the “global majority” could showcase their talents.
Trigger artistic director Angie Bual said of Janice: “She is a woman of colour and that is something we really strongly stand by.
“The Queen is such a role model and I think we need to role model all types of diversity.”
IN JUST over a month’s time, the party will begin – and although the Queen might not be strong enough to make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony, there will be no shortage of stirring moments during the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
In what must be a blow for those who wish to see an end to the monarchy, nearly two-thirds of Britons plan to celebrate Her Majesty’s reign. We are delighted to hear it.
Let’s put on a show of unity of the kind not witnessed since, well, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.