Corgi dogs, horses and swans are all being put through their paces in a historic warehouse in Coventry ahead of their starring roles in a parade to mark Queen Elizabeth II's 70-year reign.
One of the procession's tableaux, entitled "The Queen's Favourites", has been commissioned from Imagineer, an outdoor events company based in the English West Midlands city.
Director Jane Hytch said the royal commission came as a "total surprise", but that the job was a "huge honour".
The parade, touching on more personal aspects of the 96-year-old queen's life, will wind through central London to Buckingham Palace on June 5. "When we were given the queen's favourites... we thought about what does she love outside of all her duties?" said artistic director Kathi Leahy. Dogs and horses were the obvious choices.
In particular, Leahy focused on the queen's most famous canine companions, the short-legged, big-eared corgis. A pack of 20 corgi puppets, mounted on wheels, will be stars of the show. The lead puppet is named Susan, after the first corgi given to Princess Elizabeth by her parents for her 18th birthday.
Each one has its own expression. One, with full brown eyebrows, has been nicknamed Groucho Marx.
