Twenty years on from his iconic guitar solo from the roof of Buckingham Palace, Brian May of the legendary rock band Queen returned for the Platinum Party at the Palace to begin two hours of musical celebrations for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Queen + Adam Lambert, the current touring iteration of the band, opened the Platinum Party at the Palace with a little help from The Queen herself.
In a pre-recorded video featuring The Queen having tea with Paddington Bear and sharing that she keeps marmalade sandwiches in her handbag, the Monarch began tapping out the famous clap-clap-stomp beat of ‘We Will Rock You’ before Queen + Adam Lambert appeared on the stage outside the palace performing the rock hit.
In a nod to the Golden Jubilee concert, Brian May emerged from behind the stage and rose on a platform in front of the Victoria Statue.
From there, the band launched straight into another greatest hit, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’ As the song ended, videos of The Queen throughout her long reign were projected onto the screen behind them. The Duchess of Cambridge could be seen in cutaways singing along to the song, with Princess Charlotte seated next to her dancing in her seat.
Queen + Adam Lambert closed out their three-song performance with ‘We Are the Champions,’ and then host Lee Mack carried on the Queen theme by mimicking the late Freddie Mercury’s Live Aid vocalisation from 1985, getting the crowd to do the song and recall. Participation from the royal box was a bit more muted than those gathered on the Mall, however they did sing along.
The Platinum Party at the Palace featured musical talent including Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Elton John, and show-closer Diana Ross. Both Prince Charles and Prince William gave speeches praising The Queen as the wider Royal Family watched in the royal box.