Saturday 4 June 2022 05:40 PM Ticket holders queue for up to 12 hours ahead of star-studded Party at the ... trends now
Excited ticket-holders queued for up to 12 hours before tonight's star-studded Platinum Party at the Palace, enjoying a festive atmosphere despite the long wait.
Many in the long line of people couldn't wait for the party to start as they wore Union Jack hats, waistcoats and dresses in the Green Park sunshine near Buckingham Palace.
The concert is the highlight of the third day of public events to mark the 96-year-old monarch's record-breaking Platinum Jubilee with 22,000 people set to attend in person outside Buckingham Palace.
Prince Charles and Prince William will take centre stage in front of a crowd of 22,000 to pay tribute to the Queen during the star-studded Jubilee concert.
The father and son - both future kings - will speak separately in honour of the monarch towards the end of the BBC's open-air Party at the Palace show, staged in the front of Buckingham Palace.
Clarence House and Kensington Palace announced both Charles and William would address the crowds at the high profile event, which falls on the third evening of the four-day Jubilee festivities.
Motown legend Diana Ross, performing for the first time in Britain in 15 years, is a star attraction at the event, to be held on a purpose-built 360-degree stage outside the queen's central London residence.
The front-runners in the buzzing crowd of fans were Gerry and Mandy Haines from Hornchurch, Essex, who raced to the front of the 15,000-strong queue at 7.30am.
'We want to see Queen and Adam Lambert, the opening act,' said Gerry, 65. 'We'd also like to see the other Queen of course, but I don't think she'll be there tonight.'
Added Mandy, 48, wearing a 'Bri-Army' T-shirt: 'I love Queen and Brian May, but I also love the real Queen, she's done a great job all these years and we're overjoyed to be here to celebrate.'
As she spoke, Queen could be heard rehearsing in the background, with the strains of We Will Rock You clearly discernible more than 100 yards away.
Excited ticket-holders queued for up to 12 hours before tonight's star-studded Platinum Party at the Palace and enjoyed a festive atmosphere despite the huge snaking queues full of expectant fans hoping for a once-in-a-lifetime show this evening
Pictured: Paul and Sam Hacquoil of Newquay, Cornwall, arrived at 10am and described it as 'a once in a lifetime' experience
Keen: Gerry and Mandy Haines (pictured) from Hornchurch, Essex, raced to the front of the 15,000-strong queue at 7.30am
Teenager Samantha Gee arrived six hours before the gates are due to open, having travelled all the way from Folkestone
Pictured: Michelle White, from Bournemouth (left) and (right) Denise Holdsworth and Samantha Short join the queue
Buzzing atmosphere: Crowd arriving before the start of the Platinum Party at the Palace in the front of Buckingham Palace
Samantha Gee, 16, from Folkestone, Kent arrived about 10am – six hours before the crowd were allowed through to their seats at the open-air event.
'I'm a massive fan of Queen and Adam Lambert but I just wanted to be here really,' she told MailOnline.
The free tickets for the event were given to 22,000 lucky ballot winners, including 5,000 key workers.
One couple there several hours ahead of the event was David Hitchins and his wife, from Guildford in Surrey.
Mr Hitchins, a contractor, said: 'I was gifted two tickets after I raised over £25,000 for the NHS. We're so excited to be here and I'm very proud of what I've achieved.'
Also waiting was Shane, 32, originally from Austin, Texas, who has been living in London for nearly four-and-a-half years.
He said being here and living in London over the Queen's Jubilee is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience.
He said: 'Being from America this is something totally different - we would never get this. It feels like a country-wide holiday and to have such a sense of community in such a big place, it's just incredible to embrace this moment.'
Future kings the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge were planning to take to the stage to pay public tributes to the Queen during the three-hour concert.
Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, George Ezra, and Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder were among the celebrity acts preparing to entertain the live crowd and a television audience of millions.
Denise Holdsworth, 57, from Bradford, W. Yorks said George Ezra was the big attraction for her, but added: 'It will be lovely to see Prince William as well.'
George Ezra has tweeted ahead of his performance this evening, writing: 'Here's something I never imagined myself saying... I'm playing at Buckingham Palace tonight for the Queen's Jubilee!!
'[T]une in to Platinum Party at the Palace from 7.30pm
