3 June 2002: Buckingham Palace rocks to pop music from the last 50 years in 'Party at the Palace'

Rock and pop stars from five decades gathered at Buckingham Palace for a unique show to commemorate The Queen's Golden Jubilee on Monday 3 June. The evening ended with a spectacular fireworks display and a light show on the facade of Buckingham Palace, thrilling around one million spectators in the Mall and around the Palace.

Over 12,000 guests from all over the United Kingdom arrived at the Palace from 3pm onwards, clutching the tickets they had won through a telephone and Internet ballot organised months previously. For four hours they had the garden of Buckingham Palace to relax in, with a picnic including a half bottle of champagne.

Entertainers including musical acts, magicians and stilt-walkers got party-goers in the mood for the evening's entertainments. The Duke of York and his daughters Beatrice and Eugenie also spent time in the garden meeting guests.

The concert opened in spectacular form, with a roof top solo rendition of the national anthem by Brian May, guitarist with rock group Queen. He was followed on stage by stars including Ricky Martin, Emma Bunton, The Corrs, Toploader, Bryan Adams, Tom Jones, S Club Seven, Cliff Richard, heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne and Fifties crooner Tony Bennett. Beach Boy Brian Wilson was joined by guitar legend Eric Clapton, The Corrs, Sir Cliff, Atomic Kitten and Emma Bunton for a medley of Sixties surfing hits, including Good Vibrations.

Members of the Royal Family attending the concert included The Prince of Wales and his sons Prince William and Prince Harry; The Earl and Countess of Wessex; The Duke of York; and The Princess Royal and her husband.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh arrived just before 10pm. Dame Edna Everage welcomed the Queen to the concert, referring to her as the "Jubilee Girl".

Sir Paul McCartney appeared for the show's finale. His set included one of George Harrison's songs, 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', performed with Eric Clapton. The Beatles classic All You Need Is Love provided the finale with all the show's stars on stage, and the audience providing a vocal chorus.

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, and Princes William and Harry then made their way on stage, where they greeted the performers. The Prince of Wales made a speech in which he thanked all those who had worked towards making the concert possible - artistes and technicians.

His Royal Highness then paid a very personal tribute to his mother on the occasion of her Jubilee.

"We feel proud of you - proud and grateful for everything you have done for your country and the Commonwealth over 50 extraordinary years," said The Prince of Wales. His Royal Highness also thanked The Duke of Edinburgh for his unfailing support.

"You have embodied something vital in our lives - continuity," said The Prince of Wales to The Queen. "You have been a beacon of tradition and stability in the midst of profound, sometimes perilous, change."

From there The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh made their way up the Mall to perform the lighting of the National Beacon on the Queen Victoria Memorial, while Sir Paul wound up the pop concert with 'Hey Jude'. The Queen was escorted up the Mall by 300 children carrying lanterns.

The Queen ignited a rocket which flew by wire into the National Beacon on the Queen Victoria Memorial. As the flames in the beacon grew, jets of water, orchestrated to music, sprang from the memorial. The Queen's beacon was the final Golden Jubilee beacon in a chain stretching around the world, including the Commonwealth and the Arctic and Antarctica, in a replica of events at the last Golden Jubilee, that of Queen Victoria in 1887.

The beacon set off a spectacular firework display in the sky over and around Buckingham Palace. The whole front section of the Palace's roof was used to launch the fireworks. At one point a cascade of fireworks jetted from the roof, creating a wall of fire. There were also 50 computer-controlled searchlights on the Palace, and projections of images including the Royal coat of arms and the flags of the United Kingdom.

The display delighted not only the guests at the pop concert, but also the million people watching outside the Palace in the Mall and around the Queen Victoria Memorial.
 

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