It is a truth universally acknowledged that bank holidays are the best days of the year – they’re right up there with Christmas and Pancake Day. There’s nothing quite like a long weekend to put you in a good mood, and we’re getting an extra one soon! In honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, there’ll be a four-day bank holiday celebration in 2022, along with a lineup of celebrations and public events. I can truly think of no greater way to commemorate a 70-year reign than having two extra days off work…
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – All you need to know:
When is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee taking place?
Though February 6 will mark the Queen’s 70th anniversary, the official celebrations will take place in the summer. To accommodate for the four-day weekend, the May Spring Bank Holiday will be moved to Thursday, June 2, when the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will commence. The day off on Friday, June 3, however, has been specially created for the event and the celebration will conclude on Sunday, June 5. While the long weekend is all about the Queen, a Platinum medal will also be awarded to those in the Armed Forces and other public services.
How many years does a Platinum Jubilee celebrate?
In essence, a bloody long time! The Queen has been on the throne since 1952, and is set to become the first British monarch to reign for seven decades! Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is already planning a number of epic events and performances to mark the occasion, some of which have just been confirmed by The Royal Family.
How will the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee be celebrated?
Technically, the celebrations have just begun. Yesterday saw Fortnum and Mason kick off their “Platinum Pudding Contest”, in a bid to find the worthiest dish for the celebratory event. You better get those oven gloves and baking trays out, because Mary Berry herself, alongside chef Monica Galleti of Masterchef fame, is on the judging panel! It’s hoped that the dish will be a long-lasting memory of the event for years to come.
Alongside this, the Green Canopy initiative will plant a number of trees to be presented to the Queen at the end of this year.
The heat will ramp up between May 12-15, as over 1,000 performers and 500 horses are set to take to Windsor Castle, with a show detailing the British crown from Elizabeth I to the present day. From June 1 – September 18, the celebrations will also commence at the Tower Of London, with a stunning “Garden in the Moat” planned. Following the planting of over 20 million seeds this spring, the Superbloom Moat will be born, unveiling a stunning garden display that will evolve in form until September 2022, with a view to Superbloom becoming a permanent fixture at the Tower.
But, of course, the main events take place on the long bank holiday weekend (June 2-5). Here’s what you can expect:
- Trooping the Colour will make a grand return on June 2 (for the first time since the pandemic began), with 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians. The UK, Channel Islands and overseas territories will also all light a beacon in unison with one at Buckingham Palace.
- On Friday, June 3, a thanksgiving service will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, paying tribute to the Queen’s reign.
- Saturday June 4, sees the Platinum Party kick off, with some of the world’s biggest performers expected to make appearances. Keep an eye out for the tickets dropping in February. For context, the 2012 celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee resulted in a river-side concert starring Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Sir Paul McCartney.
- The Big Jubilee Lunch will also be held across neighbourhoods in the UK on Sunday, June 5. Simultaneously, more than 5,000 street art, theatre, music and circus performers will put on a show around Buckingham Palace to keep the celebrations rocking.
- Pubs are permitted to stay open until 1am.
- Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle will be open for visitors.
And these are just a few of the events planned for the long weekend, with more community activities to take place, such as national moments of reflection in honour of the Queen’s 70 years of service. According to Buckingham Palace, the Queen wants as many people celebrating the momentous occasion on the grounds as possible. You don’t have to ask us twice, Lizzie.
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.” We’re already counting down the days.