This year, the UK will be celebrating Queen Elizabeth II’s seventy years as Queen (making her the longest serving monarch in UK history). The Platinum Jubilee will be commemorated with a four-day bank holiday weekend at the beginning of June, coinciding with the anniversary of Her Majesty’s coronation (which took place on 2 June 1953). There are several special events planned to mark her reign, the details of which you can find below.
Platinum Jubilee Concert at the Tower of London (28 April)
This beautiful concert, featuring the Choir of the Chapels Royal, will be held in the Tudor Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula; the wonderful programme charts the themes of coronation and sovereignty.
Superbloom and slide at the Tower of London (1 June – 18 September)
The expansive moat at the Tower of London is currently being planted with 20 million wild flower seeds which will form a spectacular carpet of colour by the summertime. It will be accessible by a four-lane super slide which will offer a fun way to access the moat (don’t worry – there are more conventional ways to get down there too!). Director of Public Engagement at Historic Royal Palaces, Tom O’Leary, has stated: “We want to give visitors to Superbloom the chance to arrive in the flowers with a sense of occasion and fun — and what better way to do that than entering the Tower of London’s moat via a huge slide?”.
Kensington Palace will also have a Bloom display from 1 June.
Trooping the Colour (2 June)
To celebrate the Queen’s official birthday, 1450 soldiers of the Household Division and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, and 400 musicians from the Massed Bands, will Troop their Colour in the presence of Her Majesty. They will be joined by 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards who will be lined along The Mall.
Platinum Party at the Palace (4 June)
A spectacular concert, held at Buckingham Palace, will be broadcast live on the BBC, though you may well hear it if you are out and about in Mayfair!
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant (5 June)
The Pageant will tell the story of the Queen’s 70 year reign over four acts:
Act I: ‘For Queen and Country’ will be formed by members of marching bands, service personnel, and members of the Commonwealth, who will parade along some of London’s most famous streets.
Act II: Entitled ‘The Time of Our Lives’, the second act celebrates the seven decades of Her Majesty’s reign, through changing fashions, culture, classic vehicles, music and dance.
Act III: ‘Let’s Celebrate’ will use a visual spectacle of street theatre, music, urban dance and carnival to salute the Queen’s phenomenal length of service.
Act IV: ‘The Finale’ will see a culmination of the celebrations; the exact details are yet to be announced.
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession at Buckingham Palace (22 July – 2 October)
This year, the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace will be home to an exhibition celebrating the Queen’s accession to the throne. On display will be Dorothy Wilding’s fabulous series of portraits of Her Majesty (which formed the basis of stamp designs) and the tiara the Queen wore at her wedding to Prince Philip.
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