LAWN ORDER

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Jun 2, 2002 | by STEPHEN MARTIN

THE Queen has ordered rock stars appearing at tomorrow's jubilee pop concert to leave their limousines at home...to avoid wrecking her lawns.

Cars which would normally ferry them to and from the stage have been banned from Buckingham Palace for fear they will churn up the Queen's treasured Camomile lawn.

Palace aides made frantic phone calls to concert organisers the BBC after the Queen expressed fears of damage being done to the palace gardens.

Royal officials then insisted that celebrities such as Elton John, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney would have to walk to the stage to perform tomorrow evening.

But panicking BBC bosses feared celebrities would refuse to attend if they had to mix with fans and begged for limousines to be allowed in.

After a hurried round of telephone diplomacy, a compromise was struck for performers to be chauffeured about in lawn-friendly golf buggies.

BBC chiefs were so worried about upsetting the Queen they began planning two years ago how to get their 1,500 crew and 20 broadcast trucks into the Palace gardens without causing any damage.

But the limousine issue arose unexpectedly at the last minute.

A source said: "It was just presumed that the celebs would be able to use their usual cars, but an order came down from on high last week that they would be banned.

"There was a bit of a panic because we are talking about some major showbusiness names and they are not accustomed to be told they have to walk.

"So a compromise was struck to use chauffeur-driven golf buggies like the ones the Queen Mum used to be driven about in."

Tomorrow's star-studded concert will be televised around the world and will feature a moving tribute to his mother by Prince Charles.

His aides last night refused to comment on speculation that in a break from protocol the Queen may publicly kiss her son on the cheek at the concert.

But the Queen is expected to acknowledge Charles' tribute in a speech on Tuesday at the Guildhall in Windsor.

BBC bosses have insisted there is a 30-second delay in the televising of tomorrow's concert in case anyone swears on stage.

The crucial half-minute delay will mean TV executives can bleep out any offensive language before it hits the screens. It may help spare the corporation's blushes as the acts include rocker Ozzy Osbourne, currently swearing his way through his fly-on-the-wall MTV series The Osbournes.

The concert will feature a string of Motown cover versions, with chart-toppers Atomic Kitten kicking off proceedings with a version of Dancing In The Street.

R&B outfit Blue will wear white suits to perform the Temptations classic, Get Ready, as well as a duet of Sex Bomb with Welsh veteran Tom Jones. Former Baby Spice Emma Bunton's number will be the fitting Baby Love, while Will Young will sing Heard It Through The Grapevine.

Mystique's effort will be Stop! In The Name of Love and the Motown finale will be You Can't Hurry Love sung by Phil Collins.

It's a big night for S Club 7 fans as it will be the last performance by Paul Cattermole, who is leaving to pursue a career with another band.

The pop act will perform Don't Stop Moving followed by a duet of their hit Movin' with Sir Cliff Richard. Paul McCartney has won the accolade of performing the ultimate finale to the three-and-a-half hour concert, which will be attended by Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The Queen will also be there for an hour.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, wife Cherie and their children Euan, Nicholas, and Katherine will be among the VIPs.

Sir Paul, accompanied by Eric Clapton on guitar and Phil Collins on drums, plans to perform a song from Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, his 1967 hit All You Need Is Love and finish with a singalong version of Hey Jude.

Last night at the classical concert The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were joined in the royal box by Prince Charles and, significantly, Camilla Parker Bowles.

It was only the second time Charles and Camilla have been together in the presence of the Queen at the Palace.

Camilla sat behind Charles as a guest of the Queen.

Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith was there to represent the world of politics. But the real guests of honour were the Queen's ordinary citizens, for whom she rolled out the red carpet. Two million people across the country applied for tickets for tomorrow's concert and last night's classical Prom at the palace.

Only 12,000 places were available for each and by 5pm yesterday those lucky enough to have a ticket for the classical concert were making the most of it and arriving early.

Guests were given picnic hampers of strawberries and cream, chicken pasta and a half-bottle of Lanson champagne to feast on as they relaxed in the sun in the palace grounds.

From early morning, the streets around the palace were buzzing with families, pensioners, young couples and tourists soaking up the carnival atmosphere.

Video screens to relay the concerts were erected outside the Palace gates, in St James's Park, Green Park and in city centres throughout the country.