The pageant will begin at 2.30pm at the Horse Guards Parade, along Whitehall to Admiralty Arch, down The Mall to Buckingham Palace, before returning via Birdcage walk.
The procession is set to take two and half hours, concluding at around 5pm.
How to watch the pageant
The pageant is free and open to the public, meaning those hoping to catch a glimpse can head to one of the viewing areas on route.
There will also be large TV screens at Whitehall and The Mall, as well as St James’ Park to follow the events.
Events in July
Three special displays marking significant occasions in the Queen’s reign – the Accession, the Coronation and Jubilees – will be staged at the official royal residences from July 2022.
This is set to include a range of portraits as well as the jewellery and outfits worn for each occasion, housed at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
How Britain has celebrated the Platinum Jubilee so far
May
The Royal Windsor Horse Show started the unofficial Jubilee celebrations. Held from May 12-15, the equestrian world gathered for the UK’s largest outdoor horse show featuring show jumping, carriage driving and endurance events.
In the evening, in the same arena, a Jubilee pageant involving 500 horses and 1,300 performers took place, in a 90-minute piece of arena theatre that included actors, artists, musicians, international military displays, dancers and global equestrian displays. Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, 18, drove the Duke of Edinburgh’s carriage during the festivities, paying tribute to the Queen and Duke’s unrivalled contribution to the equestrian world.
The event, called A Gallop Through History, raised money for charities including those supporting the NHS and key workers.
The show was carried out in front of a live audience of 4,000 but, on the final day (May 15), it was broadcast live on ITV with Tom Cruise and Alan Titchmarsh joining forces to host, with Dame Helen Mirren appearing as Elizabeth I.
June
Thursday, June 2
The Queen took a salute from the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour this year. More than 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians came together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday. They proceeded down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, joined by members of the Royal family on horseback and in carriages.
The event ended with an RAF flypast, watched by members of the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Joining the Queen were Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, along with their three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. Princess Anne was also on the balcony, along with Prince Edward, Sophie Countess of Wessex and their children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. Also in attendance on the balcony were Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra.
The UK’s long-running tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, weddings and coronations with the lighting of beacons also took place later in the day.
Brant County marked the Queen’s platinum jubilee with several events, while also acknowledging a special connection she shares with the area.
The raising of the Union Jack at the Bell Homestead in Brantford on Saturday was significantly meaningful, since the Queen once visited the location.
“It’s almost 25 years to the day that Queen Elizabeth II visited the homestead, the last time she was in Brantford,” said Brantford Mayor Ken Davis.
Crowds gathered around back in 1997 as the Queen toured the room believed to be where Alexander Graham Bell came up with the idea for the telephone.
It was also the day a plaque was unveiled to recognize the location as a national historic site.
On Saturday, the event featured music, a message from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and students from the Brant 4-H Community Involvement Club unveiling the new homestead’s new mascot Melly as well as an accompanying book.
“We finally had the opportunity to join in on the platinum jubilee celebration so we thought why not?” said Ethan Russell of the 4-H club.
Earlier in the day, a small gathering in Mount Pleasant also marked the milestone.
“It’s just a nice thing to do,” said Brant County Mayor David Bailey. “We know there are bigger things happening all over the place, but we just needed to do something to cement the fact that we recognize what’s happening and we recognize a lifetime of service and commitment.”
A bench with flowers and rocks painted by children was unveiled in honour of the Queen’s 70th year on the throne.
“It’s not only 70 years but it’s 70 incredible years,” said Bailey. “She’s seen probably more than any monarch will ever see again.”
How Queen Elizabeth became the UK’s longest reigning monarch
At the time of her birth, Elizabeth’s family did not expect she would become the queen of England at just 25 years old.
Queen Elizabeth II opted not to attend the Epsom Derby Saturday as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebration, the second time in as many days that her mobility issues have robbed crowds of a chance to see her.
The 96-year-old monarch also isn’t expected to attend the evening Platinum Jubilee concert outside Buckingham Palace, where Sirs Elton John and Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys and Queen + Adam Lambert will perform. Prince Charles and Prince William, the queen’s son and grandson, are scheduled to address the crowd of 22,000 people.
The queen has had problems moving around lately, which the palace describes as “episodic mobility issues,” limiting her public appearances in recent months.
On Saturday, the queen was represented at the prestigious Epsom Derby race by her daughter, Princess Anne, who appeared in the royal box to crowds cheering and waving Union flags.
EPSOM, ENGLAND – JUNE 04: Princess Anne, Princess Royal and Timothy Laurence on day two of the Epsom Derby, on June 04, 2022 in Epsom, England. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, were among nearly 50 members of the royal family who gathered to honor the absent head of state. It was the couple’s first public appearance in the U.K. since they stepped back from royal duties and moved to California two years ago.
In another sign of thawing relations, royal accounts on Twitter wished Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet, a happy first birthday. Lilibet turned one on Saturday. She and her older brother, Archie, haven’t yet made an appearance during this trip.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)
“Wishing Lilibet a very Happy 1st Birthday!” the Royal Family account tweeted.
Sunday marks the culmination of Platinum Jubilee celebrations with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. As part of the jubilee pageant, dancers from London’s African-Caribbean community will don costumes of giant flamingos, zebras and giraffes to re-imagine the moment in 1952 when Princess Elizabeth learned she had become queen while visiting a game park in Kenya.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 02: (L-R) Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Louis of Cambridge look out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Trooping the Colour parade on June 02, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
Another group will recall the queen’s 1947 marriage to Prince Philip and celebrate weddings around the Commonwealth with Bollywood-style dancing.
The acts also include a 20-foot-tall puppet of a young woman, surrounded by a pack of mischievous corgi puppets.
Television viewing figures for the first day of the Queen’s jubilee were substantially down on previous royal occasions, although millions still tuned in.
A peak audience of 7.5 million people watched the BBC’s broadcast of trooping the colour on Thursday, as it kicked off a long weekend of coverage to celebrate 70 years of the Queen’s reign.
Later that evening, the BBC’s broadcast of the lighting of beacons to mark the Queen’s 70th year on the throne attracted a peak 5 million viewers, according to figures produced by rating agency BARB.
By comparison the audience for Prince Philip’s funeral last year peaked at more than 13 million people, while Prince William and Harry’s weddings hit 26 million and 18 million viewers respectively.
The relatively muted figures suggest the public took advantage of the extra bank holiday and good weather to head outside, rather than being glued to their televisions.
While trooping the colour was still the most watched programme on terrestrial television, ITV’s Coronation Street and Britain’s Got Talent were not far behind, with almost 4 million viewers each.
The BBC has sometimes struggled with the tone of its royal coverage, having come under criticism during the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012 for trying to use younger presenters in an attempt to attract a wider audience. Last year, the national broadcaster also received a record number of complaints from members of the public who felt it went overboard with wall-to-wall coverage of Prince Philip’s death.
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Kirsty Young returned to television to anchor the BBC’s jubilee coverage after four years off air after a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis with secondary fibromyalgia.
The BBC’s live commentary was provided by Huw Edwards and strayed into controversy when a former officer in the Irish Guards described the soldiers as “a great mick cocktail”.
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton said: “The micks have this fantastic mix of guards’ discipline and pursuit of excellence, with that Irish ‘irrational tenth’ if I can quote Lawrence of Arabia, which makes it the best regiment on the planet.”
Edwards interjected to say that while viewers might think the term was offensive, “it’s worth underlining that’s what you Irish Guards call yourselves”.
Joe Dwyer of Sinn Féin wrote on Twitter: “The year is 2022 … and a BBC presenter and someone from the British army are explaining why ‘micks’ actually isn’t an offensive term for Irish people.”
The relatively moderate interest in watching royals waving from carriages and soldiers in formation may also be a symptom of good weather on a bank holiday. Much of Britain was dry on Thursday, with many attending street parties and others using the long weekend to travel.
More than 20 million people watched the Queen’s coronation in 1953, overtaking radio listeners for the first time in television history.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The trooping the colour was the most watched show of the day with over 7 million viewers, and we are proud to be bringing audiences coverage of these once in a lifetime events to mark the platinum jubilee with a range of special programming on the BBC across the extended bank holiday weekend.”
Before the service Grand Paul, the biggest church bell in the country, will be rung between 10.50am and 10.55am, for only the eighth time since it was restored in 2021.
There will be live coverage on BBC One, starting at 9.15am.
The Archbishop of York will deliver the sermon, as the Archbishop of Canterbury had to pull out due to contracting Covid-19.
More than 400 people, including key workers, charity volunteers and members of the Armed Forces will be at the cathedral, in recognition of their contribution to public life.
In a statement, a spokesperson said on Thursday: “The Queen greatly enjoyed today’s birthday parade and flypast but did experience some discomfort.
“Taking into account the journey and activity required to participate in tomorrow’s national Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty with great reluctance has concluded that she will not attend.
The 96-year-old monarch has been taking part in fewer public duties in the past few months due to mobility issues.
But she was seen waving to thousands of well-wishers from the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Thursday morning.
She was accompanied by other senior members of the royal family, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with their three children, Prince Charles and Camilla and the Duke of Kent, for Trooping the Colour, the yearly event kicking off the celebrations.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also arrived in London from their home in the US to join the celebrations but were not seen on the balcony.
What events are planned for the weekend?
Saturday June 4
5.30pm – The Epsom Derby race takes place. The Queen and her family are expected to head to the racecourse on Derby Day, where the monarch is due to be greeted with a guard of honour.
8pm-10.30pm – The open-air concert in front of the palace – featuring stars including Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross – is broadcast live on BBC One.
2.30pm-5pm – The Jubilee Pageant takes place in central London, with a 3km carnival procession featuring a cast of thousands including puppets, celebrities and tributes to the seven decades of the Queen’s reign. It will move down The Mall and past the palace, with the finale featuring a performance by Ed Sheeran and the singing of the national anthem.
What is a jubilee?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a jubilee as a “celebration of the day on which an important event happened many years ago”.
The word come from the Old French jubileu, meaning “jubilee”, “anniversary” or “rejoicing”, and the Hebrew yobhel, meaning “jubilee,” and formerly “a trumpet” or “ram’s horn”.
The original jubilee, appearing in the Old Testament, was a year of emancipation of Hebrew slaves and restoration of lands, to be celebrated every 50th year.
It was proclaimed by the sounding of a ram’s horn on the Day of Atonement.
The form of the word was altered in Latin by association with the unrelated Latin iubilare, meaning “to shout with joy”.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary says: “French speakers adopted the word as jubilé, and English speakers created jubilee from the French and Latin forms.”
While a jubilee is not specified to relate to royalty or a monarch, this is how it tends to be used in the present day.
How many years is a Platinum Jubilee?
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee commemorates her being on the throne for 70 years, with the main traditional jubilees as follows:
Silver Jubilee: 25th anniversary
Ruby Jubilee: 40th anniversary
Golden Jubilee: 50th anniversary
Diamond Jubilee: 60th anniversary
Sapphire Jubilee: 65th anniversary
Platinum Jubilee: 70th anniversary
Jubilee names will be familiar to many as they follow the same convention as those commonly used to denote significant wedding anniversaries.
However, the celebration of royal jubilees pre-dates this, with the first recorded commemorations coming in the reign of George III, Queen Victoria’s grandfather.
He marked his Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of his accession, in 1809, with celebrations including a private service and firework display at Windsor.
This is the first time a UK monarch has marked a platinum jubilee, and only a handful of leaders around the world have reached the milestone.
The last was Bhumibol Adulyadej, the late King of Thailand, who passed 70 years on the throne in 2016.
As the longest-serving monarch before Elizabeth II, Queen Victoria marked two significant anniversaries: her Golden Jubilee in 1887 and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
The celebrations included royal banquets attended by foreign rulers and military processions through London.
Elizabeth II has had three major jubilees – her Silver Jubilee in 1977, her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
The Queen’s Ruby and Sapphire Jubilees in 1992 and 2017 respectively were commemorated in a more modest fashion.
Queen Elizabeth stepped gingerly onto the Buckingham Palace balcony Thursday, drawing wild cheers from the tens of thousands who came to join her at the start of four days of celebrations of her 70 years on the throne.
Her fans sported Union Jack flags, party hats or plastic tiaras. Some had camped overnight in hopes of glimpsing the 96-year-old monarch, whose public appearances are becoming rarer.
It was also a chance to watch the Trooping the Colour — a military parade that has marked each sovereign’s official birthday since 1760.
It was an explosion of joy in the massive crowd, one of the first big gatherings in the U.K. since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Everybody has got the same mission,” said Hillary Mathews, 70, who had come from Hertfordshire, outside London. “All the horrors that’s been going on in the world and in England at the moment are put behind us for a day, and we can just enjoy really celebrating the Queen.”
Experienced ‘some discomfort’ Thursday
Elizabeth, who became Queen at 25, is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and the first to reach the milestone of seven decades on the throne.
Yet after a lifetime of good health, age has begun to catch up with her. Buckingham Palace announced late Thursday that the Queen would not attend a thanksgiving church service Friday after experiencing “some discomfort” at events on Thursday. The palace said with “great reluctance” the monarch has decided to skip the service at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The Queen has had trouble moving around in recent months and has pulled out of many public events.
But Elizabeth took part Thursday night in lighting a chain of ceremonial beacons at Windsor Castle as planned.
The Jubilee celebrations go on for a long weekend, and it was not immediately known how the news would affect Jubilee events on Saturday and Sunday.
Elizabeth symbolically leads the lighting of the principal Jubilee beacon at Windsor Castle on Thursday — the first day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (Steve Parsons/The Associated Press)
A long list of exhibitions and events are taking place during the Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend from June 2 to 5 across the U.K. Here are some of the most exciting cultural and arty events open to the public during the four-day bank holiday.
Tatler’s July 2022 issue features a specially commissioned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi.
Courtesy
Royal Celebration at Sotheby’s
Sotheby’s is marking the Platinum Jubilee with a portrait exhibition “Power & Image: Royal Portraiture & Iconography” of Queen Elizabeth II, and her six female predecessors, part of a two-week series of special shows and cultural events at the London auction house running until June 15. The show will feature works ranging from the famous Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I, in all her pearly and beribboned splendor, to portraits by Andy Warhol and Chris Levine of Elizabeth II, as well as a specially commissioned portrait by Nigerian artist Oluwole Omofemi, which was used as the cover for Tatler’s July issue. The exhibition will also showcase portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria, Queen Anne, Mary I and Mary II.
Struck bronze uniface medal featuring the head of Queen Elizabeth II modeled by Mary Gillick.
The British Museum/Courtesy
Queen’s Head in Spotlight at The British Museum
An exhibition highlighting the career of sculptor Mary Gillick will take place at the British Museum from June 2. Gillick was best known for modeling Queen Elizabeth’s head for the new coin, released after her accession in 1952. A highlight of the display will be medals created by Gillick from the 1910s to the 1950s, a set of large-scale plaster models of her portrait of the queen, and insightful documents relating to the coins.
Princess Elizabeth next to an ambulance, April 1945, during her time in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS
Courtesy of Imperial War Museums
The Queen During War Time
The Imperial War Museums in London, Cambridge and Manchester are putting on exhibitions to explore Queen Elizabeth and the royal family’s relationships with the British armed forces in conflict throughout the years. In London, the museum will present 18 photographs, showing the queen’s experience of war, from growing up in the Second World War and serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, to carrying out important public duties involving the armed forces.
Henry Moore with three of his Upright Motives, ca. 1955
Courtesy The Henry Moore Foundation. Photo: Barry Warner
Family Getaway at Hauser & Wirth Somerset
Looking for a family getaway during the Platinum Jubilee celebratory weekend? Hauser & Wirth is hosting a one-day-only Jubilee sculpture celebration event at its Somerset location, welcoming children between the ages of six to 14 to design their own sculptures based on works from the gallery’s sculpture collection, which include pieces by Phyllida Barlow, Bharti Kher, Martin Creed, Thomas J. Price and Henry Moore.
Queen Elizabeth II by Michael Leonard
National Portrait Gallery/Courtesy
Online Exhibition at National Portrait Gallery
To commemorate the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, London’s National Portrait Gallery, which has more than 1,000 portraits of Queen Elizabeth II in its possession, has curated an online display featuring works from artists such as Dorothy Wilding, Chris Levine, Pietro Annigoni, Michael Leonard and William Horton. The digital exhibition features an animated timeline of her reign, showing both her role as head of state, as well as a more intimate aspect of her life.
Britain’s BBC is partnering with ABC to broadcast all the events in America. Other US news channels, including NBC, also will cover some events.
Full schedule of Platinum Jubilee events:
Thursday
Event: Trooping the Colour
What it is: The giant annual parade starts with the queen riding out of London’s Buckingham Palace in a horse and carriage. The money shot comes at the end of the route when the queen and her family appear at the palace and wave at supporters from a balcony. However, for the first time in 70 years, Queen Elizabeth won’t be present to receive the royal salute during the parade itself. Instead, her son and heir Prince Charles, 73, daughter Princess Anne, 71, and grandson Prince William, 39, will be on hand.
What it is: Over 1,500 beacons will be lit across the UK, including one in Buckingham Palace, to kick off the Platinum Jubilee.
Where and how to watch: ABC News at 4 p.m. ET
Queen Elizabeth II’s official Platinum Jubilee portrait.2022 Buckingham Palace
Friday
Event: A Service of Thanksgiving
What it is: The ceremony will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral and will likely feature readings from the Bible, as well as prayers and hymns.
Where and when to watch: 4:15 a.m. ET on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
People gather at The Mall in London on June 1 as the Union flags flutter in the wind ahead of the Platinum Jubilee’s celebrations for Britain’s Queen.AFP via Getty Images
Saturday
Event: Platinum Party at the Palace
What it is: 20,000 people will watch Queen and Adam Lambert will open the star-studded concert. Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Andrea Bocelli and Diana Ross are also scheduled to perform in person, while Elton John will appear via video.
Where and when to watch: BBC One and ABC News at 2:30 p.m. ET. It will also stream on Hulu on Sunday.
Sunday
Event: Platinum Jubilee Pageant
What it is: Performers, military personnel, workers and volunteers will all partake in this event that will reflect on the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.
Where and when to watch: BBC One at 9 a.m. ET. It will also be on Hulu on Monday.
The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years of service and will be honoured for the work she’s done for the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the Realms.
The free flower festival, Chelsea in Bloom, launches on May 23, 2022 in London, England. The streets around Sloane Square are full of tributes as businesses participate with ‘British Icons’ as their 2022 theme. The festival coincides with The Chelsea Flower Show and is inspired by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Martin Pope / Getty Images
Where will you be able to see the Queen? Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle make an appearance? Which British celebrities will we spot raising a glass to the monarch? Read on to see what the palace has planned for the long weekend.
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The major events
Trooping the Colour: 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 Guards will put on a display of military pageantry. They will be joined by hundreds of army musicians and approximately 240 horses.
It’s an annual birthday tradition that has been used to celebrate the birthday of the British sovereign for more than 260 years.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, right, with Prince William holding Prince George, centre, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge holding Princess Charlotte, left, on the balcony during the Trooping The Colour parade at Buckingham Palace, in London, Saturday, June 11, 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 an opportunity for people to view the parade as it travels from Buckingham Palace to the parade ground. There will also be large screens erected in St. James’ Park for Londoners to watch and the festivities will be shown live on TV.
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Once the parade has ended and the procession has returned to the palace, the Royal Family will make a balcony appearance, as they do every year.
Only working royals have been invited to stand on the balcony this year, leaving out Harry and Markle. The Queen’s embattled son Prince Andrew has also been left off the invite list after being stripped of his royal title and patronages earlier this year.
Prince Harry and Meghan snubbed from Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Prince Harry and Meghan snubbed from Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – May 9, 2022
The beacon chain, once used as a tool for communication, is now used for royal jubilees, weddings and coronations, as a sign of unity across towns and borders in the U.K.
In 1977, 2002 and 2012, beacons commemorated the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees of the Queen, and in 2016 her 90th birthday. More than 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and U.K. overseas territories.
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A Diamond Jubilee Beacon is lit in this file photo.
Rick Harrison / Getty Images
A principal beacon, called The Tree of Trees, will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on the evening of June 2.
Community Beacons — thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and different groups throughout the regions of the U.K., 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 June 2 in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
Service of Thanksgiving: On June 3, Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will ring during a service of thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign, to be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The bell was made in 1882 but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism. It was fixed in 2021 and has been rung eight times since, but this is the first time it will ring for a royal occasion since its restoration.
People magazine reports that the service might be the first glimpse we see of Prince Harry and his wife, although it’s expected the couple’s children, Archie and Lilibet, won’t attend due to their young age.
The Derby at Epsom Downs: On June 4, members of the Royal Family will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
The Queen is known to love a good horse race, and it’s been noted that she often appears happiest when watching and interacting with thoroughbreds. However, there have been some reports that the Queen might not make this year’s race, opting to “pace herself” over the course of the weekend, and will use the afternoon to meet her granddaughter, Lilibet, instead.
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 lots of fun and a carnival-like atmosphere for this year’s event. We’re sure to see the very best of British horse-racing fashion come out of this event, too, so get your fascinators and top hats ready.
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Platinum Party at the Palace: On June 4, royal watchers will also be treated to a concert that will feature some big names from the music scene.
The party, sponsored by the BBC, will feature three stages with performances from Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, Duran Duran, Andrea Bocelli and many more.
Diana Ross performs a medley at the 61st annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles.
Matt Sayles / The Associated Press
Diana Ross will close the two-and-half-hour show with her first live performance in the U.K. in 15 years.
Stars from the stage and sporting worlds, including Sir David Attenborough, David Beckham, Stephen Fry, Dame Julie Andrews and The Royal Ballet, will make appearances and there will be a specially recorded performance from Sir Elton John.
The Big Jubilee Lunch: According to the Palace, more than 60,000 people in the U.K. have registered to host Big Jubilee lunches on Sunday, June 5, which will feature events ranging from world record attempts for the longest street party to small, backyard barbecues and plenty of events in between.
A file photo shows residents of Murrayfield Drive in Edinburgh, sitting down to a Jubilee street party.
Courtesy / The Royal Family
The festivities aren’t just limited to the Brits, however. Worldwide, more than 600 international Big Jubilee lunches have also been organized, including a number in Canada.
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The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: The weekend’s festivities will be capped with a final pageant that the palace promises will feature some of the biggest names in celebrity, as well as the inclusion of more than 6,000 volunteers, essential workers and 2,500 members of the general public.
Although the Queen won’t personally lead the parade in the Gold State Carriage, the pageant serves as an opportunity to pay tribute to her and will bring to life iconic moments from her 70-year reign. The three-kilometre parade route from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace will start with the chiming of the bells at the church before 10,000 parade participants act out of the story of the Queen’s reign as they travel the route.
Queen Elizabeth (R) and Prince Philip ride in the Golden State Carriage at the head of a parade from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul’s Cathedral celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee June 4, 2002 in this file photo.
Sion Touhig / Getty Images
According to several news sources, tributes to the Queen and Philip will include a Bollywood-inspired reimagining of their wedding day in 1947, including a six-metre-tall wedding cake and performances by 250 Bollywood dancers.
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The pageant will culminate directly outside Buckingham Palace with a show from pop superstar Ed Sheeran, who will perform his love song Perfect at the pageant as a tribute to the Queen and her late husband.
Platinum Jubilee: 70 Years of Queen Elizabeth II
Platinum Jubilee: 70 Years of Queen Elizabeth II – Feb 6, 2022
“The past 70 years have seen a number of visits by Queen Elizabeth II to Jersey and we hope islanders will join us in congratulating Her Majesty on reaching her Platinum Jubilee and enjoy the celebrations we have organised to mark this historic occasion.”
