Singaporean dance student, Janice Ho, has been selected to represent the Queen's sudden ascension to the British throne as part of the upcoming Platinum Jubilee parade.
- The Queen will be played by a Singaporean dancer at the Platinum Jubilee pageant this June, in celebration of modern Britain's diversity and multiculturalism.
- Janice Ho, a third-year student at the London Contemporary Dance School, will depict Her Majesty's journey from princess to monarch in the exciting performance at Buckingham Palace.
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A Singaporean student will play the Queen at the official Platinum Jubilee pageant in London on 5 June, in the hopes of reflecting the rich diversity that shapes modern-day Britain.
Janice Ho, who is currently in her third year at the London Contemporary Dance School, was selected for the prestigious part after wowing judges at an open audition.
As the only performer to play the 'real' Queen, the 22-year-old will depict Her Majesty's journey from princess to monarch in the aftermath of her father's sudden death in February 1952.
Janice's act will see her launch the “Let’s Celebrate” section of the pageant by dancing down the Mall with a 21.3ft tall dragon puppet in the direction of Buckingham Palace, where she will complete a grand finale for thousands of spectators. She will be joined by several other 'carnival queens', including the dance troupe, Gansta Grannies, and drag queen, Cheddar Gorgeous.
It's understood that the pageant, which is just one of many festivities planned to mark the 70th anniversary of the Queen's reign, will pay tribute to the multicultural landscape of modern Britain and its 54 Commonwealth countries.
Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952 after her father died suddenly
"I'm really excited to be able to perform to such a big crowd in countries across the Commonwealth," Janice told the Telegraph.
"London is such a diverse place and being able to represent that is such a great opportunity."
She also revealed that she will be representing the Queen's 'light-heartedness' as Princess Elizabeth in her performance, before changing up the routine to reflect Her Majesty's transition to the Head of State upon the death of King George VI.
Janice was picked for the role by Trigger, the arts group behind the “Princess and the Dragon” act.
Speaking to the Telegraph, its artistic director, Angie Bual, revealed that Bridgerton's 'color blind' casting inspired her to follow suit.
Hailing the Netflix period drama as a "really great example of how we can loosen up our unconscious bias and shake up who we usually see as role models," she explained why it was so important to select a woman of color for the part.
"The Queen is such a role model, obviously in this country and internationally, and I think we need to role model all types of diversity. It is a reflection of the make-up of Britain and London today.
“I didn't want to cast somebody that looks exactly like Queen Elizabeth. I'm really interested in bringing new, unexpected talent in.”
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