Platinum Jubilee Celebrations — what we know so far
A look at the extra bank holiday weekend events scheduled to celebrate 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
This year the Queen became the first British Monarch to reach 70 years of service, thus celebrating a Platinum Jubilee. A plethora of events including street parties are scheduled to take place across the United Kingdom. According to the official website, the celebrations culminate in a ‘Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend’. The weekend takes place from Thursday 2nd June 2022 to Sunday 5th June 2022 and will be a bank holiday in the United Kingdom.
The weekend events are as follows:
Thursday 2nd June
The Queen’s Birthday Parade / Trooping the Colour: this traditional parade celebrates the Queen’s official birthday, usually taking place on the second Saturday of June. According to the royal website, more than 1,400 soldiers, 400 musicians, and 200 horses will participate in the parade. The parade begins at Buckingham Palace before moving down The Mall to Horse Guards Parade, joined by Royal Family members in carriages and on horseback. These members of the Royal Family will watch the end of the parade from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, observing the RAF (Royal Air Force) fly-past.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons: A beacon chain with over 1,500 beacons will be lit. Beacons will be lit by communities, and each Commonwealth capital city and a principal beacon will be lit in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Friday 3rd June
Service of Thanksgiving: service will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral celebrating the Queen’s reign. At present, no more information has been disclosed to the public about the service.
Saturday 4th June
The Derby at Epsom Downs: members of the Royal Family including the Queen will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
Platinum Party at the Palace: a live concert from Buckingham Palace will be staged and broadcast by the BBC. The event will feature a range of highlights from music stars to actors telling the story of the Queen’s reign. 10,000 tickets were made available via ballot to the public earlier in the year (sorry, the ballot’s now closed).
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch: ‘since the idea began in 2009 The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better’, writes the Royal website. Over 1,400 events have been registered to date across the country.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: the story of the Queen’s 70-year reign will be told by artistic performers, military personnel, and more. The Pageant will have three parts: Ceremonial, Celebration, and the Finale and will venture along some of the most iconic streets in London.
Some of these events are open to the public, for example Trooping the Colour and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, meaning that you can participate should you wish. For more information, see here. The weekend is certain to include celebrations from across the Commonwealth marking the momentous celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
