Diana Ross and Alicia Keys will perform at the palace concert honoring the Queen’s 70-year reign.
The ultimate house party is being thrown by Queen Elizabeth!
On Saturday, the 96-year-old monarch welcomed 22,000 guests to Buckingham Palace for a star-studded “Platinum Party” honoring the United Kingdom and Commonwealth’s contributions to fashion, sports, the environment, and music during her record-breaking 70-year reign.
Due to her ongoing “mobility issues,” the Queen did not attend the concert. She will be watching the show on TV at home in Windsor Castle, according to PEOPLE, but her absence did not dampen the festivities.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were also absent from the celebrations. To celebrate their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday, the couple is spending the day together as a family.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte, fresh off their first royal tour of Wales, sat in the royal box with their parents, Kate Middleton and Prince William, for the star-studded show, which began with a humorous sketch featuring the Queen and Paddington Bear having tea! When Paddington Bear said he always had a sandwich on him, the Queen joked, “So do I,” and reached into her handbag to pull one out!
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex with their children Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn; Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Laurence; Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi; Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank; Peter Phillips and his daughters; Zara and Mike Tindall; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke and Duchess of Kent; the Duke and Duchess
The party began with Queen and Adam Lambert performing a rousing rendition of “We Are the Champions” as Kate, William, and the children waved Union Jack flags alongside the crowd, which was curated by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.
It’ll be Queen guitarist Brian May’s second appearance at the palace, following his historic appearance on the Palace roof during the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Concert in 2002.
“We’re very happy to be invited again twenty years after playing The Queen’s glorious Golden Jubilee,” May told the BBC ahead of the show. “There was a time when I wondered… where can you go after Buckingham Palace roof?”
Along with May, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, Duran Duran, Andrea Bocelli, and Diana Ross will perform at the party.
In a special performance, casts and special guests from The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton, Six, The Lion King, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will join Lloyd Webber and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Onstage or via video, Sir David Attenborough, Dame Julie Andrews, David Beckham, and U.S. Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu are among the celebrity hosts.
“I have had the honor of meeting The Queen many times throughout my life, including when I was with my family,” Diana Ross told the BBC ahead of the show, which featured three stages connected by walkways in front of Buckingham Palace and the Queen Victoria Memorial to create a 360-degree experience.
In front of them are 70 light columns, one for each year of the monarch’s seven-decade reign. A corgi, the Queen’s favorite dog breed, was also featured in an impressive light show.
“Her Majesty has been and continues to be an incredible inspiration to so many people all over the world,” Ross added. “I was ecstatic to receive an invitation to perform on such a historic and momentous occasion.”
Rod Stewart, a rocker, praised the Queen as well, saying, “Queen Elizabeth has given incredible service to the United Kingdom over the last 70 years.”
“She has shown the world what a unique individual she is and how fortunate we are to have her.”
During the concert, both William and Charles gave moving speeches.
“While no one’s grandmother thanks them for talking about their age,” William explained, “my grandmother has lived for nearly a century.” “Mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological advancements and scientific breakthroughs during that time.” And, while those breakthroughs have raised our awareness of humans’ impact on the environment, our planet has become more vulnerable as a result of them. The pressing need to protect and restore our planet has never been more urgent than it is today, in 2022, as The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee.”
“Your Majesty, Mummy,” Charles said as he took the stage with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. The magnitude of this evening’s celebration – and the outpouring of warmth and affection throughout the entire Jubilee weekend – is our way of saying thank you – thank you from your family, the country, the Commonwealth, and, indeed, the entire world.”
