The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022
There will be year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world as communities come together to celebrate The Queen’s historic reign.
In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, seventy years of service, having acceded to the throne on 6th February 1952 when Her Majesty was 25 years old.
Throughout the year, Her Majesty and members of the Royal Family will travel around the country to undertake a variety of engagements to mark this historic occasion culminating with the focal point of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend in June.
An extended bank holiday, from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June, will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the historic milestone. 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.
Thursday 2nd June
The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour): Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, usually held on the second Saturday in June.
Beginning at Buckingham Palace, the Parade will move down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, joined by Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The Parade will close with the traditional RAF fly-past, watched by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
View coverage from previous years in the following issues of Royal Life:
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.
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.
There are three kinds of beacon events:
- Community Beacons – thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and different groups throughout the regions of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
- Commonwealth Beacons – beacons will be lit in all capital cities of the Commonwealth – 54 in total.
- Principal Beacon – to be lit on the 2nd June in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Find out more at: www.queensjubileebeacons.com
Friday 3rd June
Service of Thanksgiving: A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. Further events will be announced in due course.
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 at the Palace: The BBC will stage and broadcast a special live concert from Buckingham Palace that will bring together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from The Queen’s seven decade reign.
Tickets will be allocated via a ballot (now closed), with remaining tickets being made available to charitable organisations including those who work in support of young people, the military, the environment and those who supported communities during the pandemic.
Broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and supported across the entire BBC network, the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday, 4th June, will bring together the world’s biggest entertainers to perform in front of Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace.
With state-of-the-art technology and a stunning stage design, the event will feature an incredible range of highlights from global music stars with a full, live orchestra – to actors from film, TV and the stage telling the story and celebrating some of the most significant cultural moments from The Queen’s seven decade reign.
Find out more at: www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch: Every year since the idea began in 2009 The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better, coming together in a spirit of fun and friendship. In 2022 The Big Lunch will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community.
People are invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch can be big or small – street party or picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque. The Big Lunch provides tips and ideas for hosting an event. Over 1400 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches so far, with events being planned across the length and breadth of the country.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: Artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The London based Pageant will combine pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology, drawing on talent from every part of the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
Forming an important part of the Platinum Pageant, the ‘River of Hope’ section will comprise of two hundred silk flags which will process down The Mall, appearing like a moving river. Primary and secondary school children are invited to create a picture of their hopes and aspirations for the planet over the next 70 years. A selection of these creations will be transferred on to silk flags, which will carried by secondary school pupils in the Pageant.
The artwork for the flags will be focused on climate change and incorporate the children’s messages for the future. Teachers from applying schools will be provided with step-by-step guides to creating a beautiful digital artwork with their students, of which 200 will then be selected for the flags. The selected artwork will also be shown up and down the country on screens as part of the Jubilee celebrations. For more information and to register your school’s interest to take part please go to riverofhope.co.uk.
Further Platinum Jubilee events:
The Queen’s Green Canopy: As the Platinum Jubilee year begins, over 60,000 trees have already been planted in the UK through the project in the two months since the planting season began. Green-fingered communities and cities from Cornwall to Glasgow have come together to make 2022 a truly special year to “plant a tree for the Jubilee” as a celebration of The Queen’s 70 years of service to the nation and the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is generating the planting of large, celebration trees, new majestic avenues of trees, urban planting, and expansive new forests that will benefit future generations. Every planting is being recorded on a digital Queen’s Green Canopy map which will be presented to Her Majesty at the end of the Jubilee year.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is also working to protect 70 ancient trees and woodlands that are a valuable part of the UK’s heritage and history and has launched a special training programme to teach unemployed young people new skills in tree planting and management, as well as a Young Foresters Award to highlight the value of trees to school children. The Queen’s Green Canopy will continue throughout 2022 and into March 2023.
Royal Collection Trust: Three special displays marking significant occasions in Her Majesty’s reign – the Accession, the Coronation and Jubilees – will be staged at the official royal residences from July 2022.
At the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, portraits of The Queen taken by photographer Dorothy Wilding between 1953 and 1956 will be on display, alongside items of Her Majesty’s personal jewellery worn for the sittings.
At Windsor Castle, the Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate worn by The Queen for her Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 will be on display, while at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, visitors will see outfits worn by Her Majesty on occasions to celebrate the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
The Queen’s Private Estates: Celebrations will also take place on The Queen’s private estates, Sandringham and Balmoral, for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
Events free for members of the public to take part in over the Bank Holiday weekend will include ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ on the big screen in the Royal Parkland at Sandringham – a live screening of the BBC Concert celebrating the most significant and joyous moments from The Queen’s seven-decade reign.
The lighting of the Sandringham beacon will also take place in the Royal Parkland, accompanied by live music from the Norwich Pipe Band and the Hunstanton Band.
The Platinum Jubilee Celebration: From 12th -15th May the Platinum Jubilee Celebration will see over 500 horses and 1,000 performers create a 90-minute piece of arena theatre that will include actors and artists, musicians, international military displays, dancers and global equestrian displays.
The show takes place in the same arena used by Royal Windsor Horse Show during the day and is the fourth in a series of events at the same venue that have marked significant moments in the life of The Queen. The production will take the audience on a gallop through history from Elizabeth I to the present day.