Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: Four-day bank holiday CONFIRMED for next summer

 June 2, 2022

The Queen’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebration: Buckingham Palace reveals how Her Majesty’s 70-year reign will be remembered 

The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour): More than 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.

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. Beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.

For the first time, beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth countries to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Friday June 3, 2022

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 June 4, 2022

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. 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 due course.

Sunday June 5, 2022

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.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: A pageant featuring over 5,000 people from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and the surrounding streets. It will combine street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume and celebrate the service of Her Majesty’s reign, as well as honouring the collective service of people and communities across the country. 

Britons will enjoy a four-day bank holiday next summer to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as the nation marks her 70 years on the throne.

Buckingham Palace said 2022’s extended break will run from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5 with national events including a live concert featuring some of the world’s biggest stars to a service of thanksgiving – and a day at the races.

Individual members of the royal family have yet to be named in the plans but it is likely the Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and other members of the monarchy will attend various events.

A live concert will be staged at Buckingham Palace – Platinum Party at the Palace – during the Saturday of the long weekend. Performers have yet to be named but it is billed as bringing together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from the Queen’s seven-decade reign.

Other highlights include a day at the races for the Queen – a keen horse breeder – and her family who will fill the royal box for the Derby, held at Epsom Downs, before the concert.

The four-day weekend will begin on Thursday with Trooping the Colour, which will be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic.

Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories – a tradition used to celebrate royal jubilees, weddings and coronations.

For the first time the ceremonial bonfires will be ablaze in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth countries to celebrate the Queen’s milestone.

A Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral on the Saturday. 

Communities across the country will sit down together for the Big Jubilee Lunch during the Sunday, the final day of the Bank Holiday Weekend. People will be invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the celebrations. 

During Sunday a Platinum Jubilee Pageant will also be staged in the capital featuring more than 5,000 people from across the UK and Commonwealth.

The event will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and the surrounding streets and will combine street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume, and celebrate the service of the Queen as well as honouring the collective service of people and communities across the country. 

Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was held on June 2, 1953 – just more than a year after the then 25-year-old ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 following her father George VI’s death. It was the first coronation ever to be televised, with 27million people in the UK tuning in.

And the BBC is set to take a central role in next year’s celebrations, with Britons invited to apply to tickets to the Platinum Party at the Palace – which will see ‘some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars’ join together to create a live concert ‘to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from The Queen’s seven decade reign’, according to Buckingham Palace.

Plans for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations have been released for the first time today as the Queen celebrates her 69th year on the British throne. Despite reaching the 70-year milestone on February 6, 2022 celebrations have been pushed back to the summer because it is also the date of King George VI’s death.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘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.’  

Queen Elizabeth II’s (pictured on May 22) coronation was held on June 2, 1953 – just more than a year after the then 25-year-old ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952 following her father George VI’s death. It was the first coronation ever to be televised, with 27million people in the UK tuning in

Plans for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations have been released for the first time today as the Queen celebrates her 69th year on the British throne. Pictured, crowds outside Buckingham Palace

On the Thursday of next year’s events, Trooping the Colour (pictured) is expected to be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic

Buckingham Palace shared a range of photographs of the Queen greeting crowds during other celebrations

The Queen is pictured during another celebration holding bouquets given to her by Britons

The Queen is pictured during a previous celebration taking flowers from eager crowds 

Then and now: The Queen is pictured, left, on the day of her coronation in 1953 and, right, more recently 

The 25-year-old princess was on tour in Kenya when she became Queen on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI

Following her father’s death the Queen immediately flew back to Britain where she was welcomed by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill (pictured)

Queen Elizabeth II, with the Duke of Edinburgh, at Buckingham Palace (left) shortly after their return from Westminster Abbey following the 1953 coronation. Right, Queen Elizabeth following her coronation

Queen Elizabeth II is pictured with her husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the carriage on the day of her coronation in 1953

Britons can even enjoy nine days holiday but only booking three days off in the week before the four-day weekend.

If you take Monday, May 30, Tuesday, May 31, and Wednesday, June 1 off, you’ll get nine days off work in a row – allowing you to revel in the celebrations for even longer.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said today: ‘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.

‘There will be year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world as communities and people come together to celebrate The Queen’s historic reign. 

‘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 – one year from today.’  

The 25-year-old princess was on tour in Kenya when she became Queen on February 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI. She immediately flew back to Britain where she was welcomed by then Prime Minister Winston Churchill. 

In February, the royal family’s official Instagram account shared a video to mark the 69th anniversary of the Queen’s ascension to the British throne.

A caption read: ‘#Onthisday in 1952, The Queen acceded to the throne on the death of her father King George VI. Her Majesty has now been Sovereign for 69 years. This clip is taken from Lord Wakehurst’s film about the death of King George VI and The Queen’s accession.’

In 2013, the nation celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a Coronation Festival, hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association in the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Her accession was celebrated with a four-day holiday in June 2012. 

Buckingham Palace said 2022’s extended bank holiday will run from Thursday, June 2 to Sunday, June 5 and include a raft of ‘public events and community activities’ including a Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace and The Big Lunch – which will encourage neighbours to join together for street parties (pictured)

The United Kingdom’s tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations with the lighting of beacons will be continued to mark the Platinum Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth II sits in front of the Prince of Wales, Prince William and the Duke of Edinburgh as they pose for a photograph at Clarence House before a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of her Coronation on June 2, 2003 in London

Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip in the gold state coach during the procession from Buckingham Palace to St Pauls to celebrate her Golden Jubilee in 2002

Queen Elizabeth II arrives with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall (right) at Westminster Abbey to mark her 60th Jubilee on June 4, 2013

The River Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant was held on June 3, 2012 and the Diamond Jubilee Concert, with a preceding afternoon picnic in the palace gardens for the 10,000 concert ticket holders, was held the following day, in front of Buckingham Palace, and featured acts representing each decade of the Queen’s 60-year reign.

The only Diamond celebration for any of Elizabeth’s predecessors was in 1897, for the 60th anniversary of the 1837 accession of Queen Victoria. 

Queen Elizabeth is the only monarch to mark 70 years on the throne – with Queen Victoria reigning for 63 years before her death in 1901 aged 81.