The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022
On 6th February 2022, Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives are now in place to be celebrated during this coming weekend – the extra special four day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June.
The four days of celebrations are planed to include public events, community activities and national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.
Here are some of the most notable events to look out for:
Thursday 2nd Jun: Trooping the Colour: The Queen’s Birthday Parade is on Thursday 2nd June starting at 11am. The Colour will be trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards and more than 1200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division will put on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and around 240 horses. This annual event has now marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years.
During the Queen’s birthday parade A Royal Gun Salute will also be fired and when the parade has ended the Royal Family will appear on the ‘balcony’ at Buckingham Palace as in previous years. Whilst on the balcony there will be a ‘Flypast’ – a large formation of military aircraft.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons: The United Kingdom’s long tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations with the lighting of beacons will continue for the Platinum Jubilee. A beacon chain, once used as a tool for communication, has now become a symbol of unity across towns, borders, countries and continents and is often the central point of focus for any outdoor gathering or celebration. In 1897, beacons were lit to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. In 1977, 2002 and 2012, beacons commemorated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of The Queen, and in 2016 Her Majesty’s 90th birthday.
Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, starting with ‘The Principal beacon’ which will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace at 9pm.
Friday 3rd June
Service of Thanksgiving: A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will be rung for the Service. It was made in 1882, but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism. It was restored in 2021 and has been rung on 8 occasions since, but this is the 1st royal occasion it will be rung
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch: Thousands of people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches on the Platinum celebration weekend in a nationwide act of community friendship. People across the world are also joining in with over 600 international Big Jubilee Lunches that are planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: The Pageant, will be led by the Gold State Carriage and The Sovereign’s Escort. The Pageant will serve as an opportunity to gather and pay tribute to Her Majesty and will culminate with the singing of the National Anthem, ‘God Save the Queen’ and a gospel choir to the sounds of the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.
The Pageant will bring to life iconic moments from The Queen’s reign as well as showcasing our changing society over the past 70 years.
We wish you all a happy and enjoyable platinum jubilee weekend!
