H.M. the Queen’s Official 90^th Birthday River Pageant

Saturday June 11^th 2016

This year Her Majesty the Queen celebrates her 90^th Birthday.  To mark this happy occasion Havengore will take part in a River Pageant on Saturday June 11^th 2016, on the River Thames.

The procession will feature more than 30 vessels. The Queen’s Row Barge ‘Gloriana’ will lead a flotilla of rowing craft and Havengore will lead a powered boat flotilla. A group of Dunkirk Little Ships and fire boats including Massey Shaw feature in the line-up.

The motorised vessels will assemble to the East of Tower Bridge just prior to 11:30am. Havengore will lead the flotilla to the Palace of Westminster, where they will rendezvous with the rowing craft. Two bagpipers stationed in the bows of Havengore will play a selection of Scottish airs as this leg of the journey takes place.

The pageant will commence at approximately 12:15pm. Gloriana will ‘toss oars’ (rowers will raise their oars) and the vessels will salute to the Palace of Westminster before the flotilla makes its way downstream past County Hall and the London Eye, towards the Tower of London.

Havengore will carry the GMT Brass Ensemble, a small orchestra formed in 2013 by a collection of young musicians from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. They will accompany Nazan Fikret, an award-winning young soprana graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Ms Fikret will lead the singing of a medley of national songs from all four of the home nations as the flotillas move up river. Spectators will hear (and can join in with) Rule Britannia, Annie Lawrie, Oh Danny Boy, Bread of Heaven, Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory.

As the flotilla reaches the Tower of London (at approximately 12:55) Ms Fikret will sing God Save the Queen. Gloriana will again toss oars and give three cheers for The Queen. Tower Bridge will lift and the flotilla will pass underneath, marking the end of the pageant.

At 1pm there will be a 62 gun salute from the Tower of London, as well as a flypast of the Red Arrows over Buckingham Palace, which we anticipate will be visible from the Thames.

This promises to be a wonderful event, and we hope that many spectators will join us in honouring Her Majesty on this special day.

View the event map and timings

Download the event programme (includes lyrics so you can join in with the singing)

Read more about the vessels participating in the pageant

See the menu we will serve on board Havengore

For Thames Clipper tickets click here