JCB has signed an agreement to become a Platinum Jubilee Pageant Partner, with milestone machines marking landmark moments from The Queen’s 70-year reign set to feature in a special event in London.
The Pageant – to be held on June 5 – will be the culmination of Jubilee celebrations. It will involve more than 10,000 people and tell the story of the monarch’s seven-decade reign through music, dance, and fashion.
Included will be JCB backhoe loaders including the Mark 1 JCB backhoe from 1953, the year of the Coronation. Next in line will be JCB 3CX backhoes manufactured in The Queen’s jubilee years of 1977, 2002 and 2012. Bringing the parade up to date for Platinum Jubilee year will be a 2022 JCB backhoe loader powered by hydrogen.
JCB chairman Lord Bamford said, “I am delighted that JCB is supporting the Platinum Jubilee Pageant as a partner. It will be a very unique occasion and a wonderful way of saying thank you to The Queen for 70 years of service to our country and the Commonwealth.
“We are very proud to be taking part in the Pageant and proud of the role JCB machines have played over the course of the last 70 years in helping shape the world we live in today. We are also thrilled about a future where our machines will be powered by hydrogen and delighted to be able to highlight this technology.”
The event will culminate in front of Buckingham Palace and is expected to be watched by up to one billion people globally. It will also be a rare public outing for JCB’s new hydrogen-powered machines, which are currently being developed by the company as it explores the potential of hydrogen as a zero CO₂ alternative to fossil fuels.
