Royal Watch News

Queen Elizabeth invites close friends on royal barge

May 28, 2012, 12:01 GMT

Queen Elizabeth

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has chosen to invite close friends instead of world leaders on her royal barge for the Diamond Jubilee river pageant.

The monarch - who is celebrating 60 years on the throne this year - has opted against inviting politicians and foreign dignitaries to join her and Prince Philip on the Spirit of Chartwell boat for the river procession on Sunday (03.06.12), which will include 1,000 vessels from all over the world.

The queen will be joined by Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, Duchess Catherine - who was previously known as Kate Middleton prior to marrying the royal - and Prince Harry on the seven-and-a-half mile journey from Battersea Bridge to Tower Bridge.

According to the Daily Mail newspaper, British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha Cameron will not join Elizabeth - who will sit on a throne on the deck of the royal barge - on the boat. They will wait on the HMS President vessel near to Blackfriars Bridge, where the monarch will join them to view the rest of the procession.

The queen will be joined on the royal barge by her lady-in-waiting of more than 50 years, Lady Susan Hussey, her waterman Christopher Livett, her deputy private secretary Edward Young and her equerry Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rex.

Poet Carol Ann Duffy and the Bishop of London, the Right Reverend Richard Chartres, will also be present on the boat, as well as Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, historian Simon Schama and the queen's close friend Sir Donald Gosling - who used to own National Car Parks - with his partner Gabriella Di Nora.

Charles is thought to have picked the guest list for the royal barge under his mother's instructions to ensure her inner circle of friends are included.