On the 6th of February theQueenwill become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking a 70-year reign. To highlight this special occasion, a series of celebrations will take place throughout the year, including a 4 day bank holiday.
As with the Queen's Golden and Diamond Jubilees, the first week in June has been chosen for the celebratory weekend, as the summer months have better weather than February.
Buckingham Palace stated, 'The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.' Sadly, this Jubilee will be the Queen's first without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April last year.
How many Bank Holidays will we get for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee?
This is perhaps the most asked question of all time. To create the four-day weekend, the late May Spring Bank Holiday will be moved to 2 June. So, The Queen's Jubilee bank holidays will fall on Thursday 2nd of June and Friday 3rd June. That's definitely one for your dairy!
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Monday 10th January
The Platinum Pudding competition
The 10th of January saw the start of the Platinum Pudding competition. The competiton is a nationwide baking competition to find a brand new pudding dedicated to The Queen. The deadline for entries is 4 February.
Finalists will prepare their pudding for an expert judging panel including beloved Dame Mary Berry, Monica Galetti and Buckingham Palace Head Chef Mark Flanagan. The winning recipe will be made available to the public and the pudding will be enjoyed at Big Jubilee Lunches in June.
Thursday 2nd June
The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour)
The first bank holiday is Thursday 2 June, and will see Trooping the Colour held in full for the first time since the pandemic. There will be more than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians taking part.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons
The second event on this day is the Platinum Jubilee Beacons. The United Kingdom’s long tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations with the lighting of beacons will be continued to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
Friday 3rd June
Service of Thanksgiving
On Friday 3 June - the second day of the Bank Holiday weekend - a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's reign will be held at St Paul's Cathedral.
Saturday 4th June
The Derby at Epsom Downs
Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
Platinum Party
The BBC will stage and broadcast a special live concert from Buckingham Palace that will bring together some of the global entertainment stars to celebrate the jubilee. Members of the public will be invited to apply to attend this special event and details of the ballot for UK residents to secure audience tickets will be released in February.
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch
On Sunday 5th of June across the country people will be invited to sit down together to take part in the Big Jubilee Lunch, with street parties held across the UK. Since the idea of the Big Lunch began in 2009, it has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other better.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant
The pagent features performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers. They will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in an inspiring festival of creativity.
Furthermore, in July three displays marking the Queen's accession to the throne, the coronation and jubilees are to be displayed in Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The display will feature portraits as well as the jewellery and outfits worn for each occasion.
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