The legendary British group Queen, with Adam Lambert on vocals, opened the giant concert in London on Saturday evening for the 70th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II, in front of thousands of spectators but in the absence of the tired queen.
Duran Duran, Alicia Keys, Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, George Ezra… A host of stars with eclectic styles will parade on the stage set up in front of Buckingham Palace for this show closing the third and penultimate day of the platinum jubilee festivities history of the 96-year-old sovereign, with unequaled longevity in the United Kingdom.
Queen + Adam Lambert kicked off the evening with hits “We Will Rock You” then “Don’t Stop Me Now” in front of 22,000 spectators, including 10,000 drawn and 5,000 key pandemic workers, waving flags of the ‘Union Jack.
In the audience are also several members of the royal family, including Crown Prince Charles and his son William, who came with his wife Kate and two of their young children, George and Charlotte.
But the real star of the evening, Elizabeth II, is absent due to fragile health, having preferred to watch the concert on television, broadcast live on the BBC.
“It’s wonderful to be back,” Queen guitarist Brian May told the BBC, 20 years after making his mark performing the national anthem “God Save the Queen” perched on the roof of the palace, for the sovereign’s golden jubilee.
“We want to bring joy […] after all the misfortune we’ve been through,” said drummer Roger Taylor.
Prince Charles, 73, and his eldest son William, soon to be 40, are due to pay tribute to their mother and grandmother during the show which will end with the first live performance in 15 years in the UK from American diva Diana Ross.
The evening, organized on a stage set up around the monument in memory of Queen Victoria, celebrates the contribution of the United Kingdom and the countries of the Commonwealth to music, the environment, sport and musical comedy, during the 70 years reign of an immensely popular queen, but increasingly absent due to health problems.
Hoping to escape the rain, tens of thousands of onlookers, without tickets, followed the concert from the Mall, a prestigious artery overlooking the palace.
After being cheered on by tens of thousands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday, the Queen had already forfeited the church service honoring her at St Paul’s Cathedral and the prestigious Epsom Derby horse race, having suffered of “discomfort” on the first day of the festivities on Thursday.
Among those absent were also Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, who came from California to participate in the jubilee, but who chose to celebrate their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday in private on Saturday.