[Gizmodo describes the technology likely used to create the illusion that a waving younger version of the Queen was riding in a Gold State Coach during the Platinum Jubilee in London on Sunday (see the original story for a video and additional images). Reactions varied: Journalist Barry Malone tweeted “So a hologram of the queen drove through London in a golden carriage today. And people waved at it. They waved at a hologram,” which generated thousands of comments. Metro UK
’s video is titled “Prince Charles stands as hologram of the Queen passes by in golden carriage”; the video shows other members of the Royal Family standing as well. Seth Myers joked in his “Late Night” monologue: “During a parade over the weekend honoring her Platinum Jubilee, a hologram of Queen Elizabeth was shown in her Gold State Coach and whatever you think of the queen, her duet with Tupac was amazing.” And coverage from The Cut
includes this:
“The queen sent a hologram of her younger self (or something like a hologram; it’s not fully clear how the royal holographic bureau achieved this effect) to preside over the latter ceremony. It waved dutifully to the crowds from the same solid-gold carriage that escorted her to and from her 1953 coronation — a spooky and powerful image, I think you will agree.
Some viewers did not agree, describing the decision to promenade a hologram queen as ‘very weird.’ Personally, I find it creative and smart. A hologram (or whatever) is a much more convincing solution to getting out of a work obligation than the also good papier-mâché head this website has previously endorsed, and we support it. These events do have a tendency to drag, as illustrated by Prince Louis’s outbursts of impatience
throughout the weekend, and one perk of being the longest-reigning monarch in British history is getting to opt out of onerous obligations. A long ride in a notoriously uncomfortable carriage meets that mark, particularly if you are a nonagenarian. Also the queen’s coronation — the first to be televised — signaled an appreciation for technology, so in that sense, the hologram sort of fits. And! The queen previously refuted allegations that she is old
with the reminder that ‘you are as old as you feel.’ If she feels 27, the same age as the smoke-and-mirrors queen who materialized in the carriage, good for her.”
It’s behind a paywall, but a story in The Telegraph is titled, “Adrian Evans, Jubilee pageant master: ‘We considered making a Queen hologram like ABBA’: Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee pageant next Sunday, the producer discusses how they prepared for it” –Matthew]
Was the Queen’s Virtual Carriage Ride a Real Hologram?
The tech used was likely a modified Pepper’s Ghost, which dates to the 1860s.
By Matt Novak
June 6, 2022
The Platinum Jubilee, a celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year rule, was celebrated in the United Kingdom this past weekend, with a parade on Sunday featuring the same solid-gold carriage she took in 1953 for her coronation. But the Queen wasn’t in the coach this time, instead opting to have a film from 1953 sit in her place. Many news outlets have called the film a “hologram,” but does it actually qualify as a hologram?
In real life, most people understand holograms to be three-dimensional creations that allow the viewer to walk around and see various angles of the projection as though it’s there in the room with you. And, based on the video evidence available, the visual effect on display this past Sunday wasn’t a hologram.
Instead, the weekend’s display appears to have been some version of a Pepper’s Ghost illusion—the same one you’ve seen if you ever rode the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Pepper’s Ghost gives you the appearance of three dimensions, but is far less advanced than a real hologram.
The Pepper’s Ghost trick was first publicly demonstrated during a performance on Christmas Eve 1862 in London. The effect was used during a Charles Dickens play called The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain and people were reportedly enthralled with the performance. The trick works by projecting a bright light on the thing or person you want to appear ghostly, and reflecting that light onto a large piece of otherwise transparent glass at an angle in front of the audience.
[See the original story for two illustrations “from an 1883 issue of La Nature magazine [showing] how it looked from the side [and] how it looked to the audience.” –ML]
The Queen’s weekend performance isn’t the first time news outlets have latched onto the word “hologram” when the underlying tech is closer to a digital Pepper’s Ghost. Back in 2012, a reincarnated Tupac made an appearance at Coachella with Snoop Dogg, but it wasn’t a real hologram either.
It’s unclear who helped create this past weekend’s 3D visuals, but the British royals have a history of using this technology. The Associated Press even has photos of the Queen personally witnessing the Pepper’s Ghost effect in 2019 at Buckingham Palace, as part of an exhibition celebrating Queen Victoria’s 200th birthday.
Granted, the Queen should probably stray from anything associated with ghosts for the time being, especially since the internet seems obsessed with a conspiracy theory that she actually died of covid-19 in 2021. From TikTok to Twitter, the theory (or perhaps just as often, the joke) has been surprisingly prevalent.
But there are plenty of recent photos showing the Queen, even if she’s obviously slowed down in recent years. The woman is 96 years old, so it’s really no surprise that she moves a lot slower and can’t make as many appearances as she used to. And a digital projection of the Queen—Pepper’s Ghost or otherwise—seems like a decent workaround when your elderly head of state can’t make a real appearance.
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