A record of long service to her people
ON FEBRUARY 6 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will become the first British monarch in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne and seven decades of service to the people of the UK, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
Although the anniversary itself falls on February 6, official celebrations are scheduled for the entire month of June.
According to the Royal Family website www.royal.uk there will be year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations throughout the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world.
The website said in the UK events and initiatives would culminate in a four- day UK holiday weekend from June 2 to 5, to provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the 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. Some of the highlights:
The Queen’s Green Canopy: A tree planting initiative which invites people from across the UK to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” from October to the end of the jubilee year.
The Platinum Pudding competition: A baking competition to find a new pudding dedicated to the queen for the Big Jubilee Lunch. Fortnum & Mason have invited applicants from UK residents aged 8 and over to create the perfect Platinum Pudding recipe. The competition opened on January 10. Five finalists will prepare their pudding for a judging panel. The winning recipe will be made available to the public and the pudding will be enjoyed at lunches during the jubilee weekend, and by generations to come.
The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour, June 2): 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 the 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 (June 2): The UK’s long tradition of celebrating royal jubilees, weddings and coronations with the lighting of beacons will be continued. Over 1 500 beacons will be lit throughout the UK, 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. The principal beacon will be lit in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The Big Jubilee Lunch (June 5): 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 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.
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