Queen's street party tickets to cost £150
Tickets for a London street party celebrating the Queen's 90th birthday will cost £150 each, it has been revealed.
The Patron's Lunch is to take place on Sunday 12 June in The Mall at St James's Park. Around 10,000 guests will be able to watch a carnival parade and listen to speeches as they enjoy hampers of food provided by Marks and Spencer.
"The day itself promises to deliver an electric festival-themed atmosphere that can be enjoyed not only by the guests on The Mall, but also by the general public who will be able to soak up the festivities at large screens situated in the Royal Parks, Green Park and St James's Park," say the organisers.
It will come as the culmination of a weekend of celebrations, including a service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on the Friday and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony, also known as the Queen's Birthday Parade, in Horse Guards Parade on the Saturday.
Most of the tickets have been allocated to the various charities and other organisations of which the Queen is a patron; they are allowed to raise money with 40% of their tickets.
But at least 1,000 will be allocated to paying members of the public who will be selected through a ballot in February.
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The party is being organised by the Queen's grandson Peter Phillips through his global events agency Sports and Entertainment Ltd (SEL) for a set fee - and some question the fairness of transferring money raised from the general public, and from charities, into SEL's coffers.
But according to SEL, the company is working on a non-profit basis. Any money left over after the event will go to a to a newly-created Patron's Fund, which will be used to support specific initiatives and projects for the Queen's charities, it says.
The organisers are encouraging people across the country - and elsewhere - to hold their own parties at the same time to raise money for their local communities.
"We hope to inspire thousands of communities around the country and those countries within the Commonwealth, to host their own lunches in celebration of what community means to them and to provide a tangible platform for charitable fundraising for all Patron's Organisations and associated communities," they say.
There's a guide on how to organise your own event here.
