Two Bedford School alumni, Lt. Colonel James Shaw and Lt. Commander Tim Dunning, are playing leading roles in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on Thursday 2 June.
Lt. Colonel James Shaw has the great honour of leading the Royal Procession (Trooping the Colour) from Buckingham Palace down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade. The lone front rider, James, will be followed by members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. As Brigade Major of the Household Division, James has also played a key role in organising the Parade and the wider Jubilee celebrations, involving more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians, who come together to mark The Queen’s official birthday. The Parade will close with the traditional flypast, which will be led by a fellow Old Bedfordian (OB) and watched by The Queen and members of the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
“Without doubt leading the Royal Procession on the Queen’s Birthday Parade will be a life highlight and a huge honour. Hopefully, my time in the school CCF (Combined Cadet Force) was well spent! It is also lovely to know a fellow OB will be leading the flypast above me.” James Shaw
Fellow OB, Lt. Commander Tim Dunning takes a leading role in the skies: leading the tri-services Platinum Jubilee Flypast in his Wildcat helicopter. It will be one of the biggest formation flypasts ever held, with 70 aircraft from the three services, including the Red Arrows. The precision flypast will require pinpoint accuracy from Tim to be over the balcony of Buckingham Palace at precisely 13.00.
Watch both Old Bedfordians live on BBC1 from 10:45, when the Royal Procession departs Buckingham Palace, and just before 13:00, when the flypast arrives over The Mall.