Ant and Dec to host Queen’s birthday equestrian extravaganza
Television favourites Ant and Dec will host the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations in May.
The celebration, hosted at the Royal Windsor Horse Show (12-15 May), will feature around 900 horses as well as 1,500 performers.
It will tell the story of the Queen’s life from her birth in 1926, through the Second World War, to her coronation in 1953 and her reign, which has so far spanned more than 60 years.
The Geordie duo said they are “honoured” to be hosting the special event.
For those who have not bought tickets to the sold-out event, the celebrations will be broadcast on ITV.
There are also plans in the pipeline for a pre-performance party on The Long Walk in Windsor Great Park.
A total of 5,000 free tickets will be made available through a ballot for the party in the park, and the final performance will be shown live on giant pop-up screens in front of the castle.
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Performers will include the Oman Royal Cavalry, Chilean Huasos, the New Zealand Army band, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Azerbaijan Cossack Riders, state carriages from the Royal Mews, the Pony Club, the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, 100 military and commonwealth pipers and the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
“We are delighted to be celebrating The Queen’s 90th Birthday with this stunning evening of entertainment,” said Elaine Bedell from ITV.
“With Ant and Dec hosting this special event, viewers will get to enjoy the very best of British talent along side some remarkable performers in celebration of the Queen’s landmark birthday.”
The celebrations are being organised by the team behind the horse show, whose past credits include the 2012 Diamond Jubilee Pageant at Windsor Castle and the Centenary of the First World War at the CWGC Cemetery, St Symphorien, Belgium, in 2014.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.