All eyes on animal processions ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee parade

Several horses, swans and corgis are prepping in full force in a Coventry warehouse ahead of Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee parade which is set to wind through central London to Buckingham Palace on June 5. 

The parade, which marks the British monarch’s 70-year reign, will have a pet procession consisting of the queen’s popular pup companions, the big-eared, short-legged corgis.

A procession tableau, titled ‘The Queen’s Favourites’ has been produced by Imagineer, an events firm based in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. 

Imagineer’s director, Jane Hytch, stated that the commission was a “huge honour” but also a “total surprise” for her, according to AFP. 

“When we were given the queen’s favourites… we thought about what does she love outside of all her duties?” said artistic director Kathi Leahy.

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Leahy realized that dogs and horses occupied the top spots in the 96-year-old queen’s heart, and so, she decided to focus mainly on the corgis.

A pack of 20 corgi puppets attached on wheels will take the center stage during the parade, with all the spotlight on Susan, the lead puppet named after the first corgi the queen received from her parents when she turned 18. 

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Another puppet, that sports bushy brown eyebrows, has been named after Groucho Marx, an American comedian from the 1900s.

The parade will also have a special tableau dedicated to horses, another animal close to the queen’s heart.

The procession at Jubilee will consist of 140 cast members and will also include the counting of swans on the Thames River, a tradition that takes place annually. In England, all swans belong to the crown.

Hytch also talked about how “there’ll be a lot of adrenaline, a lot of excitement” for the Imagineer team with a global audience watching the event.

“We’ve rehearsed and rehearsed, so I think we will do a great job,” she said.