The day Essex's Lee Mead performed for Queen Elizabeth II... and an imposter
As we celebrate Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne we look back at her life and connection to Essex
This week the whole country is celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee and we thought it was a great opportunity to look back at a time she met a famous face from Essex.
Greatest Hits Radio Essex has been speaking to Southend local and West End star, Lee Mead, about how he performed for the Queen in 2019, at the Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance: "I've been singing for over twenty years, but singing for the Queen and the royal family at the Albert Hall was 100% the scariest gig of my life."
Also in attendance were Charles and Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
Lee remembers he was surrounded by famous faces but but was most phased by Her Majesty, the Queen: "It was so random.
"I think James Blunt was singing and Jeff Goldblum did a speech and played the piano. There were so many big stars and it was just terrifying!"
He says the preparation for the event was quite unusual, and featured a special, and unexpected, guest: "During the sound check, in the afternoon before the show, the had a fake Queen come into the royal box for us to perform to, which I thought was hilarious! "It was for the performers, to help them settle their nerves a little bit and have somebody to look out to in the royal box.
"They literally hired her in just for the afternoon so we could sing to her - it was so funny!"
Lee says the day will stay with him forever, and that singing for the whole royal family, remains a highlight of his career: "Come the actual moment, I just tried to be as present as possible, and take in the whole moment.
"I had all these soldiers from different regiments looking back at me, whilst I was singing 'Morning Has Broken'.
"It's just such a proud moment to have sung for her and the royal family."
The Queen visits Essex
As well as meeting some of the county's famous exports, Queen Elizabeth II has also paid the county several visits throughout her reign. We take a look back at some here:
Tilbury, 1953
The Platinum Jubilee
From a four day bank holiday to street parties and a national pudding competition, here is the full list of events marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this year:
Thursday 2nd June: Trooping the Colour
To mark the Queen's official birthday, over 1400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians are coming together in what the official Royal Family website describes as "a great display of military precision, horsemanship and fanfare". The event will consist of a musical parade where soldiers will salute the Queen. The traditional march then closes with a fly-past by the Royal Air Force, which the Royal Family typically watch from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Thursday 2nd June: Platinum Jubilee Beacons
At Buckingham Palace, the Principal Beacon (which traditionally has been lit to mark the Queen's jubilee), will be 'lit' on Thursday. This jubilee beacon however is set to be a little different to previous jubilee celebrations, as a large living tree sculpture by British designer Thomas Heatherwick is being used. The lighting installation within this structure will act as the lighting of the principal beacon to reflect the Royal Family's commitment to environmental causes. A Palace spokeswoman has said on the sculpture: "It's 21 metres high – that's the height of three giraffes." Throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, other beacons are being lit in celebration.
Friday 3rd June: Service of Thanksgiving
A Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's reign will be held at St Paul's Cathedral. This is in keeping with tradition as ever since 1897, the cathedral has hosted Jubilee services. St Paul's are also hosting an exhibition exploring the history of Jubilee celebrations at the cathedral across three centuries. This has been open to the public since May 25th.
Saturday 4th June: Platinum Party at the Palace
On Saturday, big names Diana Ross and George Ezra are set to perform at a concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the most significant moments from the Queen's reign. Live coverage will be broadcast on BBC One and will be hosted by Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp and co-presented by Huw Edwards, Clare Balding, AJ Odudu and Anita Rani.
Sunday 5th June: Big Jubilee Lunch
Street parties are being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to join together for food and fun to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. This will mark the end of the bank holiday. It is also the day that pubs stop opening until 1am, giving everyone a reason to relax and have an early night.
Sunday 5th June: Platinum Jubilee Pageant
Performers will come together in London to tell the story of the Queen's reign through a pageant. This will include a "River of Hope" section made up of 200 silk flags that will make its way through The Mall, appearing like a moving river. In 2012, there was a similar parade of 670 boats on the Tideway of the River Thames in London as part of the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
July: The Royal Collection Trust
Three displays marking the Queen's accession to the throne, the Coronation and Jubilees will be put on at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
12th-15th May: Platinum Jubilee Celebration Performance
In celebration of the Queen's 70 years on the throne, more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers took part in a 90-minute show taking the Windsor Castle audience through history right from Elizabeth I to the present day.