Party at the Palace: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle miss jubilee concert

Queen Elizabeth will not be at the star-studded Party at the Palace platinum jubilee concert, starting on Saturday evening in the UK. Her absence had been forecast after she missed Friday's thanksgiving service and Saturday's Epsom Derby caused by recurrence of her periodic mobility problems. Two other conspicuous absentees will be Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose daughter Lilibet is celebrating her first birthday. The couple, who stepped down as senior royals in 2020, were spending the day privately, their representative said. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had attended Friday's thanksgiving service, their first public appearance alongside the Windsors for two years, but missed the subsequent Guildhall reception. Party at the Palace is not bereft of royal presence, however. Staged in front of Buckingham Palace, among the 30 family members in attendance will be the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Others include the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, Anne, Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank. Princess Anne's son Peter Phillips is expected to be joined by his children Savannah and Isla, while Zara and Mike Tindall, who spent the day at the Epsom Derby with Princess Anne and Adm Laurence, will also be there. The queen's cousins — the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent — with the Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Margaret's daughter Lady Sarah Chatto and her family, are attending, along with a number of other extended family members. The queen may be absent but her presence looms large over the entire event. Eurovision star Sam Ryder and Diversity's Ashley Banjo were among the stars praising her before their performances. The concert will be opened by Queen + Adam Lambert, while soul singer Diana Ross will close the concert, which will be broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday evening. Ryder, who was runner-up in the recent Eurovision song contest while representing the UK, is among the star-studded line-up who will entertain a crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions. Speaking backstage about the monarch's 70 years on the throne, he told the PA news agency he feels it is “so selfless to give your entire life to that service”. “How many of us could say that we could do that? It's breathtaking. The way that she carries herself, it reminds us that strength can be gentle,” he said. “I think that's so important to me all the time. To carry yourself in a way where you're bringing so many people together in unity and solidarity but doing it with such a subtle kindness.” Broadcasters Roman Kemp and Kirsty Young will lead the BBC's live coverage of the event, which is being broadcast on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC Radio 2. Reflecting on the queen's reign, Kemp, 29, told PA : “People don't understand the actual service that gets put in sometimes, I think. “Over that amount of time, the things that she's done for the country, in terms of bringing awareness to certain causes, bringing awareness to things that need to be shouted about and being able to back it up, whether it be finances or press or whatever, it's been amazing.” He also noted the tourism that the monarch brings to the UK, adding: “She basically travels to countries all around the world showing who we are as Brits and that's something that should never be snubbed and it should be celebrated.” The Royal Ballet will also feature during the special concert, with ballet dancer Lauren Cuthbertson saying it is “the most incredible feeling” to have been selected to perform in honour of the queen. The concert also features performances from Duran Duran, Craig David, Alicia Keys and Sir Rod Stewart. Other celebrities from the worlds of sport, stage and screen who are part of the event include Sir David Attenborough, tennis star Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry and Dame Julie Andrews, with the evening also featuring a specially recorded performance from Sir Elton John.

Party at the Palace: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle miss jubilee concert

Diana Ross-headlined musical extravaganza will feature addresses by Prince Charles and Prince William