Diamond Jubilee Pageant Copy

18 THAMES 1952 DIAMOND JUBILEE 2012 PAGEANT OFFICIAL SOUVENIR PROGRAMME A GLORIOUS TRANSFORMATION GRANTED THE HONOUR OF TRANSPORTING THE QUEEN AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY DURING THE THAMES PAGEANT, A REVAMPED SPIRIT OF CHARTWELL TAKES TO THE RIVER AS THE ROYAL BARGE The work on the massive sculpt of the prow One of the main reasons Spirit of Chartwell was THE PROW OF THE ROYAL is being led by Alan Lamb, Head of Department chosen as the royal barge was because the BARGE IS CAREFULLY at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Palace wanted an elevated, open-deck platform SCULPTED (ABOVE); A SECTION OF ANN who was inspired by William Kent’s 18th-century so that crowds can see the Queen. CARRINGTON'S STRIKING royal barge for Frederick Prince of Wales. Philip bought the Rotterdam-built boat in 2010 BUTTON BANNER (BELOW) The sculpt started with the Royal Cypher of and totally redesigned the interiors, inspired by The Queen on a shield with scrolls either side, the opulent carriages of the Orient Express. But and cornucopias shaped like rock pools full of even that grand makeover has been FACTS AND FIGURES shelled creatures. ‘It is supposed to evoke the overshadowed by the transformation that’s taken • 450 Square metres of carpet were used British Seaside and is quite fun, with place for the Diamond Jubilee, which should • 24 Gold medallions decorate the royal barge strange-looking fish and everything poring out of witness the emergence of the finest royal • 300 Books of gold leaf were applied to the sculpt these great horns that frame the cypher,’ Alan river-craft for centuries. explains. There’s also a serious-looking figure with wavy hair who is the personification of wind blowing the other ships out of the way to create a fair channel for the whole convoy to travel down the Thames. Also featured are two Britannia figures riding seahorses and three-metre dolphins with teeth and hair, similar to those found on the lamp posts along the embankment. One of them is licking the ear of Old Father Thames, who for practical reasons has the boat’s tow ropes coming out of his open mouth beneath a huge moustache. Philip Morrell, the owner of Spirit of Chartwell, has been actively involved in proceedings. ‘I thought I’d just hand over the boat for a few weeks and get it back at the end, but instead It’s been an exciting six-month engagement,’ Philip explains. ‘I’ve had to help the designers with issues relating to tide, currents, bridge heights and various regulations.’ A CORONATION BANNER OF BUTTONS the coronations from 1066 onwards, while on in time. There were all the ancient heraldic Artist Ann Carrington has produced pieces for the other are symbols of all the places of royal manuscripts dating back to 1066. When I said I Sir Elton John, Gwyneth Paltrow and the British interest along the river, such as a raven wanted to use Dieu Et Mon Droit [the motto aristocracy, and was considered the perfect representing the Tower of London. of the British Monarch], they actually got the person to create a modern banner of the ‘Using buttons is a play on the idea of pearly original manuscript out,’ Ann enthuses. Coronation Crown and the Royal Coat of kings and queens, only it is for the actual Arms to adorn the royal barge. queen,’ explains Ann, whose heraldic design The result is a three-metre stretch of velvet was approved by the Garter of Arms. on which thousands of gold buttons have been ‘I had to go to the College of Arms. It was used to create a sequence of royal images. On like Alice in Wonderland. A man opened the door one side of the banner are images of the crown with a key the size of my foot. It was all quite and arms, as well as the River Thames and all antiquated, but brilliant. It was like going back .

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