Royal superfan Margaret Tyler poses with her collection of souvenirs in the “jubilee room” of her home in the London suburb of Wembley. This year marks the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP via Getty Images
The UK is gearing up for a four-day party this week to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and commemorate her 70th year on the throne. It is a celebration like no other for the 96-year-old monarch. More than 2,700 events are planned across the UK from 2 to 5 June, ranging from hundreds of community tea parties to a couple of drag queen bingos and a punk rock festival. Pubs will be open longer, bells will ring and there will be lots of kitsch souvenirs on sale.
When it starts?
The official start is on Thursday at 10am with Trooping the Color. It is an annual parade of guards, horses and musicians in honor of the Queen’s birthday. She was born on April 21, but for more than 260 years the sovereign’s birthday has been celebrated in June during the Troop; because, well, it’s too cold in April.
This year’s Jubilee Trooping will feature more than 1,200 soldiers, 240 horses, hundreds of army musicians and a salute of arms. Members of the royal family will make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to see a special step. The queen is also expected to be a part of it, if health permits. Beacons will be lit on Thursday in London, Ottawa and all other Commonwealth capitals.
What happens next?
After the Troop, the official program includes a national thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Friday. On Sunday, there is a platinum pageant around Buckingham Palace, a giant carnival with 10,000 artists and volunteers telling the story of the queen’s reign. Also on Sunday, 60,000 communities across the UK will be holding picnics, barbecues and street parties in the name of the “Big Jubilee Lunch”.
Soldiers from the Home Division take part in the Colonel’s review in London on 28 May, the final assessment before the Trooping the Color event on 2 June. Peter Nicholls / Reuters
Royal fan John Loughrey shows off his hat on May 31 at the tent where he is camping next to Buckingham Palace. Hannah McKay / Reuters Puppet maker Louise Jones is putting the finishing touches on the corgi puppets that will be part of the Jubilee pageant. Kirsty Wigglesworth / The Associated Press
In Legoland, Windsor, England, model Freya Groom places a figure of the queen near a model of the Admiralty Arch at the Peter Nicholls / Reuters Mall
What else is going on?
Aside from hundreds of teas, picnics and concerts, there are plenty of unusual offerings. Southbank Central London has organized a “punk alley” for the Jubilee where guests can release their inner anarchist and create their own punk songs. The center will also show a mini-series about the Sex Pistols, with its interpretation God save the queen – by filmmaker Danny Boyle.
A corgi café is also open in London over the weekend, catering to corgi lovers and their pets, and the city will be hosting a fairground tournament. There is also a drag queen music bingo in Manchester with “big skins and even bigger prizes, including bar tabs and songs from the best pop queens”. Eight cities have been elevated to Jubilee city status, including Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands.
And the Platinum Jubilee pudding contest was won by Jemma Melvin, a 31-year-old amateur pastry chef. His Swiss lemon roll and small amaretti topped 5,000 more tickets.
Will there be celebrities?
A Saturday concert called Platinum Party at the Palace will feature Diana Ross, Elton John, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, George Ezra and, of course, Queen. Sir David Attenborough will be on stage alongside great footballer David Beckham. There will also be performers singing songs from The ghost of the opera, Hamilton, The Lion King i Joseph and the amazing dream coat in technocolor. And the Daleks of Doctor Who will be exhibited as well as a series of cars from the James Bond movies.
Prince Charles sits next to the Crown of the Imperial State at the opening ceremony of Parliament on May 10, which the Queen normally undertakes. Ben Stansall / Pool Photo via AP
Will the queen attend anything?
The Queen’s health has been questioned in recent months and the opening of Parliament was skipped in early May for the first time since 1963. Buckingham Palace has said the queen has “episodic mobility problems”. He has done some homework lately and last week visited the Chelsea Flower Show riding a motorized buggy.
As for the Jubilee celebrations, royal officials will only say that “the queen is waiting for the weekend,” but they will not confirm what she will attend. He is expected to attend the service at St. Paul’s and could be on Saturday at the Epsom Derby, where five of his retired thoroughbreds will perform in a special parade to honor his love of racing. However, he had no chance of winning the derby. His three horses, Reach the Moon, Educator and General Idea, had to retire.
The Queen with Prince Andrew and the Duchess and Duke of Sussex in 2018. Matt Dunham / The Associated Press
What about Harry, Meghan and Andrew?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their three-year-old sons Archie and Lilibet, who will be celebrating their first birthday on Saturday, will be in Britain for the jubilee, although it is unclear what they will attend. They are expected to join other members of the royal family for the Thanksgiving service at St. Paul, but they won’t be on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Color. The queen has only restricted access to the working royals. His decision also rules out the Duke of York who has had to retire from royal office due to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Harry and Meghan will join the queen and other members of the royal family in one place: the Madame Tussauds wax museum. The museum had separated the couple from their royal exhibition in 2020 after leaving for California. They have met for the Jubilee with the Queen, Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Grant Harrold, a former royal family butler, works at a London Eye as a pub before the jubilee. Toby Melville / Reuters
Who is charging?
Pubs are among the biggest winners. They can stay open until 1am for four days, which is two hours longer than normal. The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that 90 million pints will be withdrawn over the weekend, generating additional revenue of £ 105 million, or $ 168 million.
Many other companies are also trying to take advantage of celebrations with Jubilee-themed products. Mattel has launched a Barbie Jubilee and a coffee company called Beanies has created a Jubilee cake-flavored instant coffee. About 110,000 bottles of sparkling wine are expected to be picked up over the long weekend, according to wine retailer Majestic. And the Center for Retail Research has predicted that the British public will spend a total of £ 408.3 million over the holidays, including £ 281 million in souvenirs.
Royal merchandise in a London store on May 30th. Leon Neal / Getty Images
What about memories?
There is everything from Jubilee mugs, t-shirts, plates and tea sets. You can also buy a Royal Corgi miniskirt; a Queen and Corgi air freshener; as well as Queen and corgi salt and pepper shakers. True devotees can buy a life-size cardboard cut from the queen for £ 34.99. The National Archives sells commemorative pencils for £ 2.50 and you can get an illuminated Rule Britannia keychain that shines with rays of light through the queen’s eyes.
Among the newest memories is a collection of tea cups, mugs and plates with a misspelling. Approximately 11,000 pieces were made in China and each item bore the mark “To commemorate the Jubbly platinum of Queen Elizabeth II.” Instead of discarding the collection, Wholesale Clearance UK sells all pieces online as collectibles, for a maximum of £ 8.89 per piece.
Prince Charles greets Yellowknife on May 19, the end of a tour scheduled until the jubilee. PATRICK T. FALLON / AFP via Getty Images
What is happening in Canada and other Commonwealth countries?
There are not so many events in Canada, not even a four-day long weekend. The federal government will not be handing out Jubilee medals this time either, as officials did during the Queen’s Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The government has provided $ 2.14 million in funding for 360 community events. The Monarchical League of Canada is distributing government-issued Platinum Jubilee flap pins.
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