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74-790: The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was a parade on 3 June 2012 of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II . The Queen , Prince Philip and other members of the Royal Family were aboard vessels that took part in the parade. The parade was organised by the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, and funded by private donations and sponsorship. The pageant master

148-812: A background of London, including St Paul's Cathedral . The painting was loaned for an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich from the Lobkowicz Collections, Prague. The pageant took a route from Wandsworth to Tower Bridge . From the launch at Cadogan Pier, the flotilla travelled under 14 of London's Thames bridges – Chelsea Bridge , Grosvenor Bridge , Vauxhall Bridge , Lambeth Bridge , Westminster Bridge , Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges , Waterloo Bridge , Blackfriars Bridge , Blackfriars Railway Bridge , Millennium Bridge , Southwark Bridge , Cannon Street Railway Bridge , London Bridge , and Tower Bridge . The Thames

222-594: A calligraphic signature known as their tughra . All the monarchs of Europe's six other surviving kingdoms use cyphers, with royal crowns above them. King Harald V of Norway uses the letter H crossed with the Arabic numeral 5; King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden uses the letters C and G overlapping with the Roman numeral XVI below them; King Felipe VI of Spain uses the letter F with the Roman numeral; and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark used

296-520: A day by up to 7 m (24 ft). Because the tide goes against the outflow of fresh water from the Thames Basin , it takes longer to subside (6–9 hours) than it does to flow in (4–5 hours). London Bridge is used as the basis for published tide tables giving the times of high tide . High tide reaches Putney about 30 minutes later. Low-lying banks of London are naturally vulnerable to flooding by storm surges . The threat has increased due to

370-503: A four-strand pearl-and-diamond choker. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a scarlet long-sleeved dress with pleated skirt by Alexander McQueen with matching hat by Sylvia Fletcher, of royal milliner James Lock & Co, and carried a red satin clutch bag. She wore a brooch with two dolphins, the symbol of the Royal Navy Submarine Service. The Countess of Wessex wore a printed dress by Emilia Wickstead . Princess Beatrice wore

444-561: A further five vessels in other sections. They included Sir Malcolm Campbell 's Blue Bird of Chelsea , the Breda from the TV series The Prisoner , and MTB102 which also carried Churchill and Eisenhower on 3 June 1944 to view the D-Day fleet. Forces vessels included Royal Naval Steam Cutter No. 438 , built the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee; RASCV Humber , the last wooden vessel in service with

518-561: A silver and navy dress by Susannah, a navy blue coat by Marni, and pink and silver hat by Stephen Jones . Princess Eugenie wore a dress by Roland Mouretwas in coral pink, teamed with a Moschino cardigan, and Stephen Jones hat. Prince Philip, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York , the Princess Royal and Sir Timothy Laurence wore Royal Navy uniforms of various ranks. The Duke of Cambridge wore

592-531: A slow but continuous rise in high water level, caused by the extremely slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) due to post-glacial rebound and the gradual rise in sea levels due to climate change. The city and state have erected defensive barriers, including the Thames Barrier , which was constructed across the Thames at Woolwich to deal with this threat. The Tideway, often referred to as

666-399: A small cockade of feathers in gold, silver and ivory, each trimmed with a crystal. Her jewels were the diamond starburst "Jardine brooch", a three-strand pearl necklace, and pearl earrings that had belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary . The Duchess of Cornwall wore a cream ensemble with sleeves decorated with gold paillettes, by Anna Valentine, and a hat by Philip Treacy . Her jewellery was

740-593: Is a speed limit of 8 knots (15 km/h) west of Wandsworth Bridge and in tributary creeks, and except for authorised vehicles, 12 knots (22 km/h) between Wandsworth Bridge and Margaretness. The tidal river is used for leisure navigation. In London sections there are many sightseeing tours in tourist boats past riverside attractions such as the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London , as well as regular riverboat services provided by London River Services . This section

814-504: Is as a symbol not only of the sovereign him- or herself, but of Canada's full sovereignty. The royal cypher is also found on post offices and some government buildings in Australia . British royal cyphers are still visible on several public buildings and old post boxes in the Republic of Ireland . Other royal houses have also made use of royal or imperial cyphers; Ottoman sultans had

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888-559: Is gradually replacing the cypher of Elizabeth II in everyday use. The design was selected by Charles himself from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms and features the King's initial "C" intertwined with the letter "R" for Rex with "III" denoting Charles III, with a Tudor Crown above the letters. Charles's Scottish cypher uses the Crown of Scotland instead. The late queen's cypher

962-451: Is not suitable for sporting activity because of the strong stream through the bridges. Rowing has a significant presence upstream of Putney Bridge, while sailing takes place in the same area and also along the coasts of the Estuary. The annual Great River Race for traditional rowed craft takes place over the stretch from Greenwich to Ham . Thames meander challenges along the length of

1036-449: Is visited occasionally by cruise ships or warships , which moor alongside HMS Belfast , and a few smaller aggregate or refuse vessels, operating from wharves in the west of London. Most trade is handled by the Port of Tilbury , roll-on/roll-off ferry terminals at Dagenham and Dartford , and petroleum products handling facilities at Purfleet , Coryton and Canvey Island . There

1110-686: The College of Arms or Court of the Lord Lyon and are subsequently approved by the monarch. See the Gallery section for example of the cyphers of other monarchs. The royal cyphers have been incorporated by the Canadian Heraldic Authority into the various royal standards of Canada . The use in Canada of the reigning monarch's cypher, which is sometimes uniquely surrounded by a garland of maple leaves ,

1184-671: The Commonwealth realms originated in the United Kingdom , where the public use of the royal initials dates at least from the early Tudor period , and was simply the initial of the sovereign with, after Henry VIII 's reign, the addition of the letter 'R' for ' Rex ' or ' Regina ' . The letter 'I' for ' Imperatrix ' was added to Queen Victoria 's monogram after she became Empress of India in 1877. The initials – which had no set pattern or form of lettering laid down – were usually shown in company with

1258-555: The Gold State Coach , and had a crown displayed on the bow. The royal barge was further decorated for the occasion with thousands of flowers and plants, and hung with drapery with the arms of Commonwealth countries. The royal party, of the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles , the Duchess of Cornwall , Prince William , the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry , stood on the upper deck of

1332-500: The Indian Empire . Royal cyphers appear on some government buildings, impressed upon royal and state documents, and are used by governmental departments . They may also appear on other governmental structures built under a particular ruler. For example, the insignia of "N III" for Napoléon III is seen on some Paris bridges, such as the Pont au Change . The use of a royal cypher in

1406-860: The Port of London , is managed by the Port of London Authority (PLA). The upstream limit of this authority is marked by an obelisk just short of Teddington Lock and to seaward by the London Stone at Yantlet Creek. The PLA is responsible for one lock on the Thames: Richmond Lock . Within Greater London, the Tideway is secured by the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit . East of Crayford Ness, Essex Police and Kent Police assume responsibility in their respective jurisdictions. 21st-century criminal investigations have included

1480-558: The Provident , a Brixham trawler , Gypsy Moth IV in which Sir Francis Chichester solo-circumnavigated the world, Sail Training Vessel Challenge Wales | Wales' Tall Ship which works with young people to improve their employment prospects, Sheemaun (Motor Yacht) a 1930s Gentleman's Motor Yacht that served in WW2 as HMY Sheemaun an armed Thames Estuary Auxiliary Patrol Boat and the Tenacious , of

1554-707: The Roberto Calvi and Torso in the Thames cases. London Fire Brigade maintains a fire boat on the river in central London. As a result of the Marchioness disaster in 1989, when 51 people died, the Government asked the Maritime and Coastguard Agency , the Port of London Authority , and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to work together to set up a dedicated Search and Rescue service for

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1628-571: The Royal Shallop Jubilant , Waterman's cutters , of the City Livery Companies , Skiffs from Thames skiff and punting clubs , Gigs from coastal rowing clubs, kayaks , gondolas , dragon boats , replica Viking longships, and a jolly boat full of pirates. A separate fleet of 50 safety boats, provided by the charity Northern Exposure Rescue , escorted the man-powered vessels from Putney Embankment to South Dock . The charity

1702-592: The Army, and Atta Boy , a launch from HMS  Royalist at the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The Cornish fishing lugger Barnabas , built in 1881, had sailed 450 miles from Cornwall for the pageant, and carried St Piran's Flag , the largest flag born by any vessel in the flotilla. Narrowboats and barges came from all over the UK, many travelling for weeks along hundreds of miles of inland waterways and through many locks to take part in

1776-560: The BBC Mark Thompson congratulated BBC staff for their work on the broadcast. Tideway The Tideway is the part of the River Thames in England which is subject to tides . This stretch of water is downstream from Teddington Lock . The Tideway comprises the upper Thames Estuary including the Pool of London . Depending on the time of year, the river tide rises and falls twice

1850-586: The Crown of Scotland image rather than the E II R cypher, which continued to be used in the rest of the United Kingdom and in the other realms and territories. The production of the cypher was an early step in the preparations for her coronation in 1953 as it had to be embroidered on to the uniforms of the Royal Household and on other articles. Cyphers for other members of the royal family are designed by

1924-727: The Greater Thames Estuary and is one of the largest inlets on the coast of Great Britain . The water can rise by 4 metres moving at a speed of 8 miles per hour. The estuary extends into London near Tower Bridge, and can be divided into the Outer Estuary up to the Swale at the west end of the Isle of Sheppey , and the Inner Estuary, designated the Thames Gateway above this point. The shore of

1998-752: The Jubilant Commonwealth Choir, the New Water Music, the Mayor's Jubilee Band and Rhythm on the River . The final barge carried the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir, performing music associated with different buildings and monuments along the river, including the " James Bond theme ", the " Dambusters March " and " Rule Britannia ". During the event,

2072-476: The Jubilee Sailing Trust which provides opportunity for able-bodied and disabled people to sail together. Music was specially commissioned from a number of British composers to be performed on a series of "Herald Music Barges" in the pageant. The poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy wrote an eight-verse poem, Common Wealth , to mark the event and this was set to music by the composer Orlando Gough . In all,

2146-539: The Outer Estuary consists of saltmarshes and mudflats, but there are manmade embankments along much of the route. Behind these, the land is cultivated or used for grazing. Parts of the Outer Estuary are on a major shipping route. The Gateway is some 70 kilometres (43 mi) long, stretching from the Isle of Sheppey to Limehouse in Tower Hamlets . Its boundary was drawn to capture the riverside strip that formerly hosted many land extensive industries, serving London and

2220-634: The Pageant and Pageant Master, Adrian Evans. Other bodies involved in the organisation included the Port of London Authority , the RNLI , the Metropolitan Police , the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Environment Agency . The pageant was planned with inspiration from a painting by the 18th-century Venetian painter, Canaletto . The painting Lord Mayor's Day on the Thames depicts a flotilla against

2294-606: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The final vessel in the procession was a barge carrying the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Royal College of Music Chamber Choir. The orchestra and their instruments were safely under cover, but the choir stood in the pouring rain, singing encores of " Land of Hope and Glory " as they made their way from London Bridge . As

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2368-471: The Queen after the pageant. The Gloriana carried ten flags, among them those representing the four home nations: England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , as well as the flag of the City of London and the flag of Cornwall . She was powered by 18 rowers, including Olympic medallists Steve Redgrave , Matthew Pinsent , and Guin and Miriam Batten . The flotilla of rowed vessels which followed included

2442-475: The Queen. Later they identified the hat that 'Nelson wore at Waterloo.' Some commentators took the view that BBC presenters on the day had concentrated too much on interviews with celebrities and that they were insufficiently prepared to add depth to the TV commentary. The actor and writer Stephen Fry was of the opinion that the coverage was "mind-numbingly tedious", while Ben Dowell in The Guardian singled out

2516-564: The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy , historian Simon Schama and Sir Donald Gosling with his partner Gabriella Di Nora. The Queen wore an ensemble designed by royal couturier Angela Kelly , comprising dress, coat, hat and shawl. The coat, which had a pleated frill at the front and neck, was of ivory boucle, decorated with gold, silver and ivory paillettes and Swarovski crystals . The matching hat had

2590-745: The South East. The decline of these industries has left a legacy of large scale dereliction and contaminated land , but an opportunity for major redevelopment. The area includes the London Docklands , Millennium Dome , London Riverside and Thames Barrier . The Pool of London is divided into two parts, the Lower Pool and Upper Pool. The Lower Pool traditionally runs from the Cherry Garden Pier in Rotherhithe to Tower Bridge . The Upper Pool consists of

2664-622: The Thames due to the introduction of shipping containers and coastal deep-water ports in the 1960s emptied the Pool and led to all of the wharves being closed down. The Lower Pool area was extensively redeveloped in the 1980s and 1990s to create new residential and commercial neighbourhoods, often using converted warehouses. In the Upper Pool this provided scope for office development in the City of London and Southwark . Between London Bridge and Putney Bridge ,

2738-510: The Thames from Lechlade often pass through the London sections and finish well downstream, for example at Gravesend Pier. The Grand Union Canal joins the river at Brentford , with a branch – the Regent's Canal – joining at Limehouse Basin . The other part of the canal network still connecting on the Tideway is the River Lea Navigation via Bow Lock . Narrow low-lying belts beside

2812-408: The Thames. As the parade passed the National Theatre , the life-sized puppet horse from the play War Horse appeared on the roof as a salute to the Queen, who was visibly delighted. Following the Royal convoy came groups of powered vessels. These included a number of now very rare steam vessels, Alaska , the oldest working passenger vessel on the Thames, and the tugs Barking and Kennet . Among

2886-400: The Tideway is home to most of London's rowing clubs, and is the venue for training and racing throughout the year. The Championship Course over which The Boat Race and many other events are run, stretches from Putney to Mortlake. Royal cypher In modern heraldry , a royal cypher is a monogram or monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign , typically consisting of

2960-492: The Tideway is still poor. Heavier rainfall in London causes overflows from pipes on the river banks from the standard type of sewer in the capital, the combined sewer . Around 39,000,000 m (3.9 × 10  L) or 39 million tonnes of untreated sewage mixed with rainwater are released into the Tideway each year from sewage treatment works and combined sewer overflows (CSOs), averaging 106,849 m (106,849,000 L) per day or 106,849 tonnes per day. These CSOs can cause

3034-433: The UK also took part. They were followed by launches, cruisers and passenger vessels of various kinds, containing many spectators. When the Spirit of Chartwell neared Tower Bridge, the Queen was saluted by the guns, the naval cadets and veterans aboard HMS  Belfast . The bascules of the Tower Bridge were then raised through the full 80 degrees in Royal salute. The royal barge docked at HMS  President , where it

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3108-489: The United Kingdom (except in Scotland) and the Commonwealth realms by a stylised version of the Tudor Crown or St Edward's Crown ; in Scotland , the Crown of Scotland is used instead. Though royal symbols (including, most notably, the coat of arms, royal standards and great seals ) differ among the 15 Commonwealth realms, as they are separate monarchies, the one sovereign uses the same cypher throughout all of his or her countries. Distinction continues to be made between

3182-420: The advocacy group Republic staged a protest, which attracted around 500 protesters. Forty-six people from the boats were treated for the effects of the cold weather, and six were taken to hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. Despite the event passing off peacefully, concerns have been raised by both The Guardian and later Lord Prescott about the mistreatment of unpaid staff used to provide security for

3256-417: The banks of the Thames The pageant was broadcast live by the BBC and Sky News and subsequently broadcast around the world on other networks. More than 10 million tuned into the BBC's four-and-a-half-hour coverage, with an audience average of 10.3 million. The organisers of the pageant were the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, chaired by Lord Salisbury , with Michael Lockett as the Chief Executive of

3330-417: The city's bridges were moored on either side of the river. These included Amazon , an 1885 pleasure yacht that was present at the 1897 naval review marking Queen Victoria 's Diamond Jubilee; the sail training brig, TS Royalist ; Belem , a three-masted sail training ship; the Golden Hinde replica of Sir Francis Drake 's historic ship; the Matthew of Bristol , a replica of a Tudor merchant ship;

3404-403: The deaths of marine life and health hazards for river users. The Thames Tideway Scheme , under construction, aims to divert most of the overflow from sewers into a tunnel under the river. The Thames Estuary is bordered by the coast and the low-lying lands upstream between the mouth of the River Stour on the Essex / Suffolk border and The Swale in north Kent . It is now usually designated

3478-409: The event. According to The Guardian reports some staff were, in effect, sleeping rough. The live television coverage of the pageant by the BBC was the subject of some media criticism and the broadcast reportedly attracted over 4500 complaints from members of the public. The presenters started by telling everyone the pageant commemorated the '60th anniversary of the coronation' of 'Her Royal Highness'

3552-435: The initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown . Such a cypher as used by an emperor or empress is called an imperial cypher . In the system used by various Commonwealth realms , the title is abbreviated as 'R' for 'rex' or 'regina' ( Latin for "king" and "queen"). Previously, 'I' stood for 'imperator' or 'imperatrix' (Latin for "emperor" and "empress") of

3626-404: The lack of television coverage given to the composers and performers who were commissioned to write music and perform on the Thames barges. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and composers Orlando Gough and Gavin Greenaway also expressed their frustration about the coverage. BBC creative director Alan Yentob defended the BBC's coverage, citing high audience approval ratings, and Director-General of

3700-412: The letter M with the Arabic numeral 2 and the letter R (for Regina) below it during her reign. King Philippe of the Belgians uses the letters P and F intertwined, referring to the fact that his name is Philippe in French and Philipp in German , but Filip in Dutch , the three main languages in Belgium . King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his Queen Maxima share a joint cypher consisting of

3774-418: The orchestra drew up along the Royal Barge, they played the " Hornpipe ", which set the Royal Family and the veterans on HMS Belfast jigging and many umbrellas along the embankment bobbing in time with the music. They finished their musical selection with " Rule Britannia " and " God Save the Queen ". The pageant finished with the bascules of the bridge lowering as fireworks shot from its upper deck and craft on

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3848-473: The pageant featured new works by thirteen modern British composers including Anne Dudley , Graham Fitkin , Gavin Greenaway , Christopher Gunning , Howard Goodall , Adrian Johnston , John Lunn , Julian Nott , Jocelyn Pook , Rachel Portman , Stephen Warbeck and Debbie Wiseman . The performers on the Herald Music Barges were the Academy of Ancient Music , The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines , Plymouth; Shree Muktajeevan Pipe Band & Dhol Ensemble,

3922-506: The parade. They included President representing the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Beatty from Merseyside , Hazelnut from Byfleet , Centenary from Warwickshire , Lord Toulouse from Worcestershire , Marie Celeste from Lancashire , Oh Be Joyful from Cheshire , the Mountbatten Crusader from Northamptonshire , and the Shropshire Lad and Shropshire Lass which include in their crews disabled servicemen and civilians. A number of Dutch barges, used as houseboats on rivers in

3996-426: The personal cypher and the simpler, more workaday public initials, the former being the sovereign's own monogram and the latter simply a means of identifying a reign. Nowadays, the initials are also called the royal cypher, but, to aid clarification, the monogram is referred to as the royal cypher interlaced and reversed. On 26 September 2022, Buckingham Palace unveiled the cypher of the new king, Charles III , that

4070-417: The retired Royal Yacht Britannia , and naval and military vessels. She was accompanied by the Connaught , carrying the officers of the College of Arms , the Court of the Lord Lyon , and the Canadian Heraldic Authority . Prince Andrew, Duke of York , and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex , and their families followed on board the Havengore , which in 1965 had carried the body of Sir Winston Churchill along

4144-433: The river passes through Central London and some of the most famous landmarks. River boats carry tourists up down and across the river, and also provide a regular commuter service. (culverted tributaries largely converted to sewers are marked ‡) From Putney Bridge to Teddington Lock , the river passes through inner and outer suburbs such as Hammersmith , Chiswick , Barnes , Richmond on Thames and Ham . This part of

4218-440: The river sounded their horns. The planned flypast finale was cancelled, due to the weather. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the riverside was crowded with spectators along the entire route, many having camped overnight to secure a place, and many others watched the event from nearby on large screens and in pubs. Downstream from the London Bridge was an "Avenue of Sail", where powered and sailing vessels too tall to pass under

4292-405: The river, while it was recorded as comprising 670 vessels of various types, both historic and modern. Participating vessels came mainly from the UK with some Commonwealth, and a few non-Commonwealth participants. They ranged from rowing boats to sail and steam-powered vessels with historic vessels including many of the surviving Dunkirk little ships , a Māori waka (war canoe) which was present at

4366-517: The royal arms or crown as on the king's manors and palaces – such as those of Henry VIII on the gatehouse of St James's Palace . The purpose seems to have been simply to identify an individual sovereign, particularly on certain landmarks that he or she has commissioned, as the royal coat of arms in contrast was often used by successive monarchs and is therefore not distinct. The initials are furthermore used on government papers, duty stamps and similar objects, and are surmounted throughout

4440-417: The royal barge MV  Spirit of Chartwell , which was moored at Cadogan Pier, slightly downstream of the Albert Bridge . The Spirit of Chartwell , a 210-foot (64 m) motor vessel with a top speed of 11 knots (13 mph; 20 km/h), was donated as the royal barge for the pageant and enhanced over the course of a year with symbols and ciphers that referred to the coronation , the Commonwealth and

4514-441: The section between Tower Bridge and London Bridge . In the 18th and 19th centuries the river was lined with nearly continuous walls of wharves running for miles along both banks, and hundreds of ships moored in the river or alongside the quays. The lack of capacity in the Pool of London prompted landowners to build London's Docklands with enclosed docks with better security and facilities. The abrupt collapse of commercial traffic in

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4588-409: The signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 and the tall ship Amazon which was present at Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Royal Fleet Review. Also taking part was the gig St Michael's Mount State Barge which was rowed rather than sailed down the river. Built around 1740, it is believed to be the oldest operational boat in the world and had ferried Queen Victoria in 1846. The start of the pageant

4662-419: The tidal River Thames. Since 2002, four lifeboat stations have been established on the Thames, at: Teddington , Chiswick , Tower Pier , and Gravesend . The River is navigable to large ocean-going ships as far as the Pool of London at London Bridge . The Port of London is the United Kingdom's second largest port by tonnage. Today, little commercial traffic passes above the Thames Barrier. Central London

4736-408: The tidal section of the Thames regularly flood at spring tides, supporting brackish plants. One such example is at Chiswick Lane South, where the river, as pictured, overflows this road a few times per year. (Picture taken in 2006). Although water quality has improved over the last 40 years and efforts to clean up the Tideway have led to the reintroduction of marine life and birds, the environment of

4810-437: The title " The Royal Jubilee Bells ", their sound was answered by churches along the route and around the UK. The section of man-powered boats set the pace for the pageant, and was led by the 27-metre-long (89 ft) Gloriana , a rowing barge privately commissioned as a tribute to the Queen for the 2012 Jubilee. Built in the classicising style of 18th-century royal barges and decorated with gold leaf , she will be given to

4884-456: The uniform of a Royal Air Force flight lieutenant , and Prince Harry wore the uniform of a captain in the British Army 's Blues and Royals along with the blue beret of the Army Air Corps . The procession of boats, which was 7.5 miles (12.1 km) long, was formed up in sections, each led by a "Herald Music Barge" carrying ensembles playing music of different genres. The procession took approximately 90 minutes to pass any given point on

4958-430: The vessel, under a gilt canopy decorated with red drapery, in the style of royal barges of the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen was attended by Lady Susan Hussey , her lady-in-waiting for more than 50 years; her deputy private secretary, Edward Young; her equerry, Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rex; and waterman. Christopher Livett. Other guests on the barge included Richard Chartres , the Bishop of London; Kamalesh Sharma ,

5032-421: The working vessels were Amaryllis , umpire's launch for the Henley Royal Regatta ; White Heather , the only surviving narrow-beam London canal tug; the Stork HM Customs and Excise boat, James Stevens No.14 , the world's oldest motor lifeboat; and the Massey Shaw fireboat of the London Fire Brigade, veteran of Operation Dynamo , Dunkirk. The Dunkirk Little Ships flotilla comprised fifty-five small craft, with

5106-467: Was E II R , standing for Elizabeth II Regina . Elizabeth's cypher was usually surmounted by a stylised version of St. Edward's Crown. In Scotland, as a result of the ' Pillar Box War ', which was a dispute over the correct title of the new monarch ( Elizabeth I of England and Ireland was not a monarch of Scotland, so the new queen would have been Elizabeth I, not II, in Scotland according to that view), after 1953 new post boxes carried only

5180-517: Was Adrian Evans. The vessels that took part included military, commercial, and pleasure craft. According to Guinness World Records , this was the largest ever parade of boats, surpassing the previous record of 327 vessels set in Bremerhaven , Germany, in 2011. Sailing vessels and others too tall to pass under the bridges were moored as an "Avenue of Sail" downstream of London Bridge with smaller craft in St Katherine Docks. British media organisations estimated that one million spectators watched from

5254-401: Was anticipated that the Queen and Royal party would watch the rest of the procession from the first floor. However, despite the increasingly inclement weather, the 86-year-old Queen chose to remain on the Spirit of Chartwell , standing continuously for nearly four hours, waving and acknowledging the salutes of the spectators, until the end of the procession. She was accompanied by Prince Philip,

5328-508: Was closed to normal navigation. To help ensure smooth conditions, particularly for the many rowed craft, the organisers had arranged for the annual high tide test closure of the Thames Barrier to take place on the same day as the parade. The flotilla proceeded in sections preceded by Music Herald Barges: At approximately 14:15, the Royal Launch from HMY  Britannia carried Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh to

5402-628: Was selected especially due to their involvement in the annual Great River Race . Preceding the Royal Convoy, were fifty five dinghies, which sailed in diamond formation, each bearing the flag of a Commonwealth Country and carrying Sea Cadets from the UK , Bermuda and Hong Kong . The Spirit of Chartwell joined the procession, preceded by the Trinity House No 1 Boat , carrying the Princess Royal , as pilot vessel, and convoyed by two escort boats from

5476-516: Was signalled by a whistle from steam locomotive 6201 Princess Elizabeth on Battersea Railway Bridge . The Royal Family watched the beginning of the parade from the moored royal barge. Leading the pageant was a floating belfry fitted with eight bells, newly cast by Whitechapel Bell Foundry for the Church of St James, Garlickhythe . Named after the eight senior members of the Royal Family and granted

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