Puppets party in grand parade - 3rd June 2022

Horses, corgis and swans are being groomed for their starring roles in a procession to commemorate the platinum jubilee milestone of Queen Elizabeth II. The creation and construction of the puppets is down to design company Imagineer, partnering with Coventry University students.

The parade's artistic director, Kathi Leahy, explains the puppets will form a tableau integral to the procession named 'The Queen's Favourites', reflecting what the monarch cherishes.

Kathi Leahy: "We thought about what does she love? And outside of all her duties and, because she's virtually on duty most of the, all the, all the time. And it's, it's equine and canine. And so, they're her first loves – her dogs and her horses. We've got 10 horses, and the horses range from the Queen's first hobby horse – the first, the pony that she learned to ride on. So we've got Peggy. We've then got some racehorses that have specific significance to the Queen, such as Sanction, which is the next one along here."

Besotted with corgis since her parents marked her 18th birthday with her first pup, the sovereign's passion for the stumpy, donkey-eared breed is common knowledge.

Kathi Leahy: "Some of them have tails that are up in the air. Some of them have very expressive faces – tongues out, tongues in."

Since tradition stipulates that all swans in England are custody of the crown, a number of the 140 cast members participating will be donning swan costumes to evoke the annual, centuries-old custom of swan counting on the river Thames.

Designer Trudy Rees-Marklew is the head designer overseeing the floats and costumes.

Trudy Rees-Marklew: "The challenge was to bring the humour into the design, and to bring some fun and laughter on the day."

The massive marionette of 11th century Lady Godiva, a legendary figure from popular culture, will be parading her stuff. With comparatively small dimensions, there'll also be a representation of 'Bluebottle', a petite vessel presented to the Queen and Prince Philip on their marriage. Imagineer's chief executive, Jane Hytch, is optimistic that the displays will strike a chord with the monarch.

Jane Hytch: "But I hope that, I just hope she just smiles at the, particularly at the corgis and notices that innovation in our, our section. You know, with Godiva and all the engineering and stuff."