Environmentalist Sunita Narain gets special mention at Queen's Jubilee Party

Noted Indian environmentalist Sunita Narain got a special mention by Britain's Prince William in his tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during celebrations of the Platinquum Jubilee in London, marking 70 years of the 96-year-old monarch's reign. 

In his speech during a grand Jubilee Party at the Buckingham Palace on Saturday night, William focussed his message on the environment as he spoke adoringly of his grandmother. He described the concert venue, which witnessed performances by leading artists such as the group Queen and Sir Elton John, as an IMAX screen. 

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"As I watch those extraordinary images, it does make me think of all the monumental and pioneering work of so many visionary environmentalists that have gone before," said William. 

"I think of Rachel Carson from America, Wangari Maathai from Kenya, Sunita Narain from India, and so many others. While no one's grandmother thanks them for talking about their age, my own grandmother has been alive for nearly a century. In that time, mankind has benefited from unimaginable technological developments and scientific breakthroughs," he added. 

The Queen did not attend Saturday's concert, but participated in a pre-recorded comic sketch with Paddington Bear to open the concert. The star-studded concert saw 22,000 people fill The Mall leading up to the Palace to enjoy performances from an array of music artists, as well as appearances from the stars of stage and screen, and the sporting world.

There were songs from Sir Elton John, George Ezra, Craig David, Duran Duran, Alicia Keys and Eurovision runner-up Sam Ryder, while Sir Rod Stewart's performance of 'Sweet Caroline' had all the royals swaying in their seats. 

There was also a run-through of British and Commonwealth sporting achievements by actor and rapper Doc Brown, and the show was closed by Diana Ross, with her first live performance in the UK in 15 years.

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On Sunday, the final day of the Jubilee celebrations will end with a massive pageant near Buckingham Palace. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant will depict critical moments from the Queen's seven decades on the throne. It includes a Bollywood-themed Wedding Party segment created by South Asian arts group Nutkhut. It will consist of a six-meter-high four-tiered cake inspired by the royal wedding of the Queen with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, with each tier representing the Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees of the monarch's reign. 

The Wedding Party will be performed in an elaborate style by 250 performers of all ages from London, Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, Southampton and Newcastle. Nutkhut says the spirit of the Commonwealth will flow through its specially-designed Platinum Jubilee sari, a key feature of the performance and composed of sustainable organic fabric. Thousands of street parties are also being held across the UK in what is being called the Big Jubilee Lunch.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Queen Elizabeth
• Prince William
• Sunita Narain
• World Environment Day
• Environment