The United Kingdom celebrated the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation with the Royal Platinum Jubilee, a long weekend of star-studded public events that included a Saturday night concert in front of Buckingham Palace. I was one of a few lucky members of the Salesforce team that got to attend the party!

Salesforce has a long history of involvement with the royal household, sharing many of the values and causes supported by the charities and programs founded and championed by the royal family, like responsible businesses, sustainability, mental health, and a focus on how to improve the world for the next generation. Salesforce is also very involved with royal-led initiatives like Business in the Community and the Earthshot Prize, so the company wanted to support the Jubilee in some way and celebrate the Queen, who’s seen so much history, but also has been instrumental in making change herself.

As thanks for their support, Salesforce was given a number of tickets for the party (they couldn’t be bought, you had to win them in a national lottery) and they gave some away through a competition on Slack. You had to answer questions about the Queen’s achievements. I entered and didn’t think anything of it. And then I won! I was absolutely thrilled.

There was a real buzz in London leading up to the party, with everyone dressed in red, white and blue. The Mall was absolutely jam-packed with people but it was such a jovial atmosphere, a royal event that brought people together in excitement, conversation, and celebration.

When we arrived, I could see right away how Salesforce was supporting the Jubilee: Everyone was given a wristband with the Salesforce logo. Once the entertainment began, everyone’s wristband lit up and changed colour in time with the music — what a light show! You saw thousands of hands lit up in the dark, a moment of unity, togetherness, and joy. And the wristbands were, in true Salesforce style, recyclable and sustainably made.

Diversity was everywhere — on stage performing (they are a UK band), but more importantly in the audience. We talk a lot about diversity, but sometimes people forget there’s lots of types of diversity. The audience felt representative of the UK in the 21st century and that more than anything was a cause of celebration.

The best part is that my ticket included a plus-one, so I could bring my husband with me. He works in the care industry; in fact, he was on the BBC news advocating for PPE for care workers during the pandemic. I work at Salesforce, but he worked on the front line. For us to be able to go to this celebration together was really special. There were a lot of NHS and key workers who had contributed to the pandemic at the party, who had received their tickets as a thank you from the royal family.

Salesforce saw the gifted tickets not only as a chance to give back to its employees, but also offered some of them to our customers from the nonprofit sector, circling back to the roots of our involvement with the royal household: the commitment to supporting and creating positive change in the communities we live and work in. One of the customers who also attended the Jubilee party was Adrian Ruddock, CIO of NCS Trust, and he was thrilled about the opportunity. “Getting to watch the Queen’s Jubilee concert was a really unforgettable experience,” he said. “It was so special to see all the great performers and artists, but also to feel part of celebrating the Queen's 70 years reign — being together and celebrating.”

The Queen opened the party with a video showing her having tea with Paddington Bear, two British icons, which set the tone for the evening. As Her Majesty couldn’t attend the party due to her health, her opening the show with Paddington was a special moment. The royal family members attending included Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; and Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, with her husband Mike Tindall (a former rugby star—my husband was thrilled).

Then the concert began with Queen (the band) and American singer Adam Lambert, they were brilliant and electrifying. Some other highlights included a rap poem about sport, social mobility and the British spirit, performed by Doc Brown; an improv medley by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and a performance by Duran Duran, my favourite band as a teenager! Diana Ross came out of retirement for the first time in 15 years to close the show! She was amazing and it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see her.

There were moving talks by Sir David Attenborough and Prince William about the environment and how we can all be active agents of change in the world. Prince Charles delivered quite an informal speech, showing a more personal side, thanking his “Mummy.” It felt like it came truly from the heart, and I think it was a wonderful tribute.

The light show during the concert was incredible: a huge tree of light stood in front of the palace that changed colour along with the music. A drone show lit up the night sky above the palace bringing light and laughter with images of teapots, horses, and a corgi…all things the Queen loves. It was beautifully done and lots of fun. As we sang the national anthem together, it was really an emotional moment of togetherness, appreciation and love for our Queen.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be at the Jubilee party. Thank you Salesforce for a once in a lifetime opportunity and to the Queen for 70 years of dedication, strong leadership, and championing people and good causes everywhere. It was a historic moment that I’ll never forget I was a part of.