The royal family is preparing for the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years of service and will be honored for the work she has done for the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the kingdoms.
The celebrations have been going on for the past year, but will culminate later this week with a four-day holiday in the UK that promises to be full of pomp and relaxation.
The free flower festival, Chelsea in Bloom, begins on May 23, 2022 in London, England. The streets around Sloane Square are full of tributes, with companies taking part with the “British icons” as the theme for 2022. The festival coincides with The Chelsea Flower Show and is inspired by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Martin Pope / Getty Images
Where can you see the queen? Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make an appearance? What British celebrities will we see raising a glass to the monarch? Keep reading to see what the palace has planned for the long weekend.
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The main events
Trooping the Color: The Queen’s Annual Birthday Parade will kick off the festivities on June 2, when more than 1,200 officers and soldiers, the 1st Battalion and the Irish Guard will present an exhibition of military prestige. Hundreds of army musicians and about 240 horses will join.
It is an annual birthday tradition used to celebrate the British sovereign’s birthday for over 260 years.
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, on the right, with Prince William holding Prince George in the center, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, with Princess Charlotte on the left, on the balcony during the Trooping The Color parade at Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday 11 June 2016.. AP Photo / Tim Ireland
It will be one of the busiest events in London, tickets are already sold out, but officials say there will be a chance to see the parade as it travels from Buckingham Palace to the Arms Field. There will also be large screens raised in the St. James’ Park so that Londoners can see them and the parties will be broadcast live on television.
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Once the parade is over and the procession returns to the palace, the Royal Family will perform on the balcony, as every year.
Only members of the working royal family have been invited to be on the balcony this year, leaving Harry and Markle aside. The Queen’s assaulted son, Prince Andrew, has also been left out of the guest list after being stripped of his title and royal sponsorships earlier this year.
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Platinum Jubilee Beacons: The UK has a long tradition of lighting beacons to celebrate the jubilee.
The beacon chain, formerly used as a communication tool, is now used for royal jubilees, weddings and coronations, as a sign of unity between cities and UK borders.
In 1977, 2002 and 2012, the beacons commemorated the Queen’s Silver, Gold and Diamond Jubilees, and in 2016 her 90th birthday. More than 1,500 beacons will be lit across the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the overseas territories of the UK.
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In this archive photo a diamond jubilee lighthouse is lit. Rick Harrison / Getty Images
A lighthouse, called The Tree of Trees, will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on the night of June 2.
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There are three types of beacon events:
- Community lighthouses: Thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and different groups in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the overseas territories of the UK.
- Commonwealth Beacons: Beacons will be lit in all Commonwealth capitals, 54 in total.
- Main Beacon: It will be lit on June 2 in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Thanksgiving: On June 3, the Great Paul, the bell of the largest church in the country, will ring during a Thanksgiving service for the reign of the Queen, which will be held in the Cathedral of St. Pau.
The bell rang in 1882 but was silenced in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism. It was fixed in 2021 and has been played eight times since then, but this is the first time it will be played for a royal occasion since its restoration.
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Read more: Queen Elizabeth Celebrates 96th Birthday, Mattel Makes Barbie for Platinum Jubilee
People magazine reports that the service may be the first sighting we see of Prince Harry and his wife, although the couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, are not expected to attend due to their young age.
The Epsom Downs Derby: On June 4, members of the Royal Family will attend the Epsom Downs Derby.
The queen is known to love a good horse race, and it has been observed that she often looks happier when she looks and interacts with the thoroughbreds. However, there have been some reports that the queen may not be taking part in this year’s race, opting to “pass herself off” over the weekend, and will take advantage of the afternoon to meet her great-granddaughter, Lilibet.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh attend Derby Day during the Investec Derby Festival at Epsom Racecourse on June 4, 2016 in Epsom, England. Matt Mumby / Getty Images
Regardless, the Derby website promises a lot of fun and a carnival atmosphere for this year’s event. We’re sure we’ll also see the best of British horse racing fashion come out of this event, so get ready for your fascinators and top hats.
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Platinum party at the palace: on June 4, royal observers will also have the opportunity for a concert featuring some of the biggest names in the music scene.
The BBC-sponsored party will feature three stages featuring Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, Duran Duran, Andrea Bocelli and many more.
Diana Ross performs a medley at the 61st Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles. Matt Sayles / The Associated Press
Diana Ross will close the two-and-a-half hour show with her first live performance in the UK in 15 years.
Stage and sports stars such as Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Stephen Fry, Dame Julie Andrews and The Royal Ballet will be appearing and there will be a specially recorded performance by Sir Elton John.
The Big Jubilee Lunch: According to the Palace, more than 60,000 people in the UK have registered to host the Big Jubilee Luncheons on Sunday, June 5, which will include events ranging from world record attempts to the most street party long to small barbecues in the backyard and lots of events in between.
An archive photo shows residents of Murrayfield Drive in Edinburgh sitting at a party on Jubilee Street. Courtesy / The Royal Family
However, the festivities are not limited to the British. More than 600 international Great Jubilee lunches have also been organized around the world, including some in Canada.
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Platinum Jubilee Contest: The weekend festivities will culminate in a final pageant that the palace promises will feature some of the most important celebrity names, as well as the inclusion of more than 6,000 volunteers, essential workers and 2,500 members of the general public.
Read more: Has the Commonwealth “followed its course?” Platinum Jubilee raises questions about the future
Although the Queen will not personally lead the parade in the chariot of the Golden State, the pageant serves as an opportunity to pay tribute to her and bring to life emblematic moments of her 70-year reign. The three-mile parade from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace will begin with the ringing of church bells before 10,000 participants in the parade act on the history of the Queen’s reign as they walk the route.
Queen Elizabeth (R) and Prince Philip travel in the Golden State chariot at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul’s Cathedral celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee on June 4, 2002 in this file photo. Sion Touhig / Getty Images
According to various news sources, the tribute to the Queen and Philip will include a Bollywood-inspired reimagining of her 1947 wedding day, including a six-foot-tall cake and performances by 250 Bollywood dancers.
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The pageant will culminate directly at Buckingham Palace with a performance by pop superstar Ed Sheeran, who will perform her love song Perfect at the pageant as a tribute to the queen and her late husband.
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