Ab Fab’s Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley launch Pride in London parade

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley opened the Pride in London parade on Saturday – as their Ab Fab characters.

The city’s Pride parade got off to a very glamorous start, with Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone making an appearance to cut the ribbon and launch the parade.

The pair were accompanied by a phalanx of drag queens, as US ambassador Matthew Barzun and London Mayor Sadiq Khan – who led the parade – looked on.

Saunders and Lumley were in town to promote Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, which is set for release next month – with a large bus also taking part in the parade.

Jennifer Saunders tweeted: “So proud to have cut the rainbow ribbon of Pride London. Love all you Eddys and Patsys. Be Proud! #Pride2016”


Elsewhere at the event, two police officers surprised the crowd – by getting engaged.

The pair broke from formation and temporarily brought the parade to a halt, as one of the officers got down on one knee to propose.

A large police presence was felt at Pride following the mass shooting at Orlando, Florida’s Pulse gay club, which killed 49 and injured 53.

PC Anton Brown, the chair of the Network, said: “This is the culmination of two years’ work, which started with a conversation over a coffee in Berlin at the European Gay Police Association conference in 2014.

“The new staff association will represent LGBT matters in the Met, promoting recruitment and delivering training to LGBT liaison officers. It will also provide access to local and national events, promote reporting and provide support to members who have suffered LGBT crimes or bullying.

“The Network will also work with the LGBT community to signpost members of the public to support services.”

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