Aussie horsemen and Aborigines to star in Queen’s Jubilee show

THE New South Wales Mounted Police and Australian Aborigines will perform for the Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations next year.

The Australians will feature in the 8.5-minute Australasian section of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle in May.

Details of the event, which will kick off celebrations marking the Queen’s 60-year reign, were revealed at a press conference at Buckingham Palace’s Royal Mews on Tuesday.

Under the theme of ‘Around the world in 60 years and 90 minutes’, the pageant aims to capture the 250-plus State and Commonwealth visits the Queen has made during her time on the throne.

Veteran broadcaster Angela Rippon, an ambassador for the pageant, described how the Queen’s “private passion for anything and everything equestrian” had set the theme for the event.

“On each of her public visits, horses have always been there,” she said.

“She’s going to be able to watch each of those 500 horses in that arena and each of those who pass by will trigger a memory for her of when she’s been in those countries.”

More than 500 horses and horsemen will be involved in the event, including 19 members of the New South Wales Mounted Police, as well as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Kremlin Mounted Cossacks and several others.

The event’s director, Simon Brooks Ward, will visit Australia to meet with the NSW mounted policemen in a couple of weeks and discuss their part in the pageant.

Performing alongside the Down Under contingent will be the New Zealand Defence Force Band and Maoris as well as dancers from the neighbouring Cook Islands.

Australasia will feature third in the line-up of more than 17 countries, with the UK opening the show and The Americas, including Chile, Mexico and Canada, appearing second.

Other events on the Diamond Jubilee calendar include a concert at Buckingham Palace, the River Thames Pageant and the Big Jubilee Lunch.

The pageant will be held over three nights, 10, 11 and 13 May, ahead of the official bank holiday weekend at the start of June.

The Queen will attend the final night, which will be broadcast on ITV.

Tickets to the privately funded event are now on sale, with profits going towards selected charities.