The UK will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 70th anniversary as monarch with a blockbuster weekend of celebrations, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has announced. The Government has now confirmed that there will be an extra day off to mark the special occasion.
The culture secretary has announced that the traditional Spring bank holiday on the last Monday in May will be moved later in that week to Thursday June 2nd 2022. An extra bank holiday will be added on Friday June 3rd 2022 to make a four-day holiday break.
Queen Elizabeth II will be the first-ever British monarch to mark a platinum jubilee and this historic event will reflect on Her Majesty’s reign and her impact on the UK and the world since 1952.
Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch on September 9th 2015 when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria.
On February 6th 2017 she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, commemorating 65 years on the throne.
The four-day celebrations will feature an extensive programme of events that mix the best of British ceremonial splendour and pageantry with cutting edge artistic and technological displays. These will be interspersed with the traditional nationwide fanfare and celebrations.
A number of events are planned for the celebratory four-day weekend, including Trooping the Colour, lighting of Platinum Jubilee Beacons, and a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping the Colour, and the lighting of the beacons will take place on Thursday June 2nd.
Beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth countries for the first time to celebrate the occasion, as well as throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK overseas territories.
There will also be a live ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ concert, The Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
Announcing the details of the planned festivities, Dowden said: "Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will be a truly historic moment - and one that deserves a celebration to remember.
"We can all look forward to a special, four-day Jubilee weekend when we will put on a spectacular, once-in-a-generation show that mixes the best of British ceremonial splendour with cutting edge art and technology.
Events planned for the Platinum Jubilee
Here are all the events taking place for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee:
January 10: “Platinum Pudding competition”
The competition is inviting members of the public to create a dish to dedicate to the Queen’s reign.
May 12-15: Platinum Jubilee Celebration
More than 500 horses and 1,000 performers will take part in a 90-minute show taking the Windsor Castle audience through history right from Elizabeth I to the present day.
Bank Holiday: June 2: Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour)
The colour will be trooped on Horse Guards Parade by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards and over 1,200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division who will put on a display. Sandringham and Balmoral will also be open for residents and visitors to enjoy the celebrations across the Bank Holiday.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons
The UK will join the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories to light a beacon to mark the Jubilee. The Principal Beacon will also be lit in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
June 3: Service of Thanksgiving
The Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
June 4: Platinum Party at the Palace
Some of the world’s greatest entertainers are billed to perform at the concert at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the most significant moments from the Queen’s reign.
June 5: Big Jubilee Lunch
Street parties are being planned across the UK and neighbours are expected to join together for food and fun to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. It will mark the end of the Bank Holiday.
Platinum Jubilee Pageant
Performers will come together in London to tell the story of the Queen’s reign through a pageant that will include a “River of Hope” section made up of 200 silk flags that will make its way through The Mall, appearing like a moving river.
July: The Royal Collection Trust
Three displays marking the Queen’s accession to the throne, the Coronation and Jubilees will be put on at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
