Friday, June 1, 2012

Diamond Jubilee: Final preparations under way

Rehearsal

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Final preparations are being made in London, and across the UK, ahead of the weekend's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Earlier, a full dress rehearsal of Tuesday's carriage procession between Westminster Hall and Buckingham Palace took place.

Crews of the 1,000-strong flotilla that will escort the royal barge along the River Thames on Sunday, were briefed.

Events are planned across the UK over the next four days to mark 60 years since the Queen came to the throne.

In other celebratory events, the Woodland Trust has released a list of 60 new, large woodland areas designed to celebrate the Queen's reign.

In the early hours of Friday, members of the armed forces and the Household Division were among the 2,000 servicemen and women rehearsing the carriage procession - one of the final events of the Jubilee celebrations.

Under the gaze of some of London's biggest skyscrapers, an eclectic collection of boats, ships and kayaks are gathering for what one captain has described as a "uniquely British event".

The noise of chugging engines at West India Dock and the occasional seagull is broken by the excited conversations of the boat crews anticipating Sunday's events.

Those on board are busily attaching a collection of multi-coloured flags, including a special Jubilee ensign, and even touching up the paint work on their largely immaculately turned out boats.

Among them will be the Dunkirk Little Ships - famed for rescuing thousands of troops in World War II. They will hope to bring some of their infamous spirit to the Thames on Sunday.

Roads in central London were closed for the rehearsal of Tuesday's carriage procession, which ended at 06:00 BST.

Members of the Household Cavalry Mounted Division rode from the Palace of Westminster along Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, before travelling along the Mall to Buckingham Palace.

The procession included the 1902 state landau carriage - used by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day - which will be used to take the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh from a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday.

The BBC's Daniela Relph said the full ceremonial rehearsal had been a real display of the pomp and pageantry that is expected over the whole four days of Jubilee celebrations.

Soldiers rehearsed their three cheers for the Queen and the national anthem was played, she added.

Major Andrew Chatburn, the ceremonial officer for the Household Division, said the rehearsal had been "spectacular".

The state ceremonial training officer for the Royal Navy, Warrant Officer Paul Barker, said it had gone "very well".

"We are at the right stage that we need to be at - we don't want to peak too early but it's everything I expected them to achieve."

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will be joined by the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry for Tuesday's event.

Preparations have also been continuing for the BBC's Jubilee concert, which will be held in front of Buckingham Palace in the area surrounding the Queen Victoria Memorial on Monday.

Artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John, Jessie J, JLS and Ed Sheeran are due to perform.

The concert will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC One HD and on BBC Radio 2 in the UK and to millions around the world.

Other preparations on Friday have included the mustering at West India Quay, near Canary Wharf, of boats taking part in the Thames Jubilee Pageant.

More than 1,000 vessels of all shapes and sizes will form a flotilla and sail along the Thames from upriver of Battersea Bridge to down river of Tower Bridge on Sunday.

Ships too tall to pass under Tower Bridge are being moored along the banks of the river, to form an avenue of sail.

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Meanwhile, the Woodland Trust has revealed the location of 60 new areas of woodland - each at least 60 acres in size - spread across the UK.

The Woodland Trust says more than 250 smaller Jubilee Woods will also be planted to help the trust achieve its goal of planting 6m trees in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury has paid tribute to the Queen, who he describes as being "unfailingly supportive and kind".

Rowan Williams, who will step down as Archbishop in December after 10 years, said in a video that during private meetings, he discovered that Her Majesty is "extremely funny and prepared to be teased", and helped him through difficult periods of his own life.



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