Ed Sheeran to perform at the finale of four-day jubilee party

By
AFP
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London: British pop superstar Ed Sheeran was on Sunday set to bring the curtain down on four days of momentous nationwide celebrations to honour Queen Elizabeth II´s historic Platinum Jubilee.

The multi-award-winning singer-songwriter will perform at the finale of a day-long pageant lauding the 96-year-old monarch´s record seven decades on the throne, as a long weekend of festivities across the UK concludes.

Sheeran is one of numerous "national treasures" poised to perform a "special tribute" to the queen against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace to mark the milestone never previously reached by a British sovereign.

Meanwhile, millions of people are expected to attend "Big Jubilee Lunch" picnics, including an attempted world record for the longest street party.

It remains unclear if the Queen will make any in-person appearances at the pageant, after being forced to skip several Platinum Jubilee celebration appearances due to mobility issues.

The four-day extravaganza began Thursday with the pomp and pageantry of the Trooping the Colour military parade to mark her official birthday, followed by beacon-lighting ceremonies across the country.

Sheeran, 31, will wrap up the Platinum Jubilee celebrations by singing his 2017 hit "Perfect".

Ahead of his appearance, the "Shape of You" singer-songwriter revealed that the 2002 "Party at the Palace" to mark the queen´s Golden Jubilee actually inspired his phenomenally successful musical career.