.jpg) | |
| Venue | Windsor Castle |
|---|---|
| Type | Equine pageant |
| Theme | Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II |
TheDiamond Jubilee Pageant, also brandedThe World Comes to Windsor, held between 10 and 13 May 2012 was an equine pageant held in the grounds ofWindsor Castle, organised as part of theQueen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
The pageant was to be the first major event of theDiamond Jubilee celebrations forQueen Elizabeth II taking place in 2012. It was to act as a curtain raiser for a programme of Spring and Summer celebrations in the UK which will culminate in an extended bank holiday weekend in June.[1]
The pageant was a four-day event held in a 3,000-seat arena the grounds ofWindsor Castle in Berkshire, England, taking place on the 10th, 11th, 12th and 13 May 2012.[2] The Queen herself is to attend the final day's show.[1][3] The pageant was to be combined with the annualRoyal Windsor Horse Show, with the horse show events occurring during the day, and the pageant shows being held in the evening.[1]
The theme of the pageant is a combination of the Queen's passion for horses, and herstate visits to more than 250 countries, many of which have featured horses.[4] The arena set will feature images ofBuckingham Palace in central London.[1] The show will feature military and equestrian displays of riding, as well as dancing and music, over a 90-minute-long programme.[1][3] The performance is to be hosted byAlan Titchmarsh, withHelen Mirren,Martin Clunes,Sanjeev Bhaskar andOmid Djalili introducing the various acts on stage.[4]
The show was initially described as including 500 horses and 800 performers,[3] and later rose to 550 horses and 1,100 performers[4] For the equine pieces, the horses were to be drawn from every continent except Africa, which due to quarantine regulations, would instead be represented by zebras and cattle.[3]
The Mounted Band of theHousehold Cavalry Regiment and theKing's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery will open the show.[1] Other acts announced include:
Organisation for the pageant had begun in mid-2010. Simon Brooks Ward was the pageant's director and producer.Alan Titchmarsh andAngela Rippon are ambassadors for the pageant.[1] The pageant was privately funded, with surplus monies raised being donated to charity. Tickets for the shows went on sale in November 2011.[3] The event was expected to attract 12,000 spectators.[1]
The pageant was broadcast onITV1 at 18:30 on Sunday 3 June 2012, as a 2-hour programme with the titleAll the Queen's Horses.[5]