On February 6th of 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British Monarch to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the commonwealth of the United Kingdom. After the sudden death of her father, King George the IV, Her Majesty the Queen ascended the throne in 1952. Elizabeth was crowned Queen of England on June 2, 1953, at the age of 25. Elizabeth’s noteworthy accomplishments include; Service during WWII, delegations during the Korean War, delegations during the Cold War, passing of the Crown Act of 2013, Decolonization of Commonwealth colonies and overall boosting British Morale. 

As previously mentioned, the Platinum Jubilee marks the 70th anniversary of a British Monarch’s rule. There are 5 previous Jubilees marking anniversaries of service. The Silver Jubilee marks 25 years of service, the Ruby Jubilee marks 40 years, the Golden Jubilee celebrates 50 years, the Diamond Jubilee commemorates 60 years, and the Sapphire Jubilee marks 65 years. 

Four days will be allotted in June for the Queen’s Jubilee Celebration. The opening event will be the Trooping of The Colour, the Queen’s official birthday parade, held on June 2nd. A Record 1,400 Soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will perform in the parade. The highly anticipated parade will begin from Buckingham Palace marching down the Mall to Horse Guards Parade. There, the royal family will accompany the parade on horseback and in carriages. The event will close with the traditional Royal Air Force (RAF) flyby over Buckingham Palace, watched by the Queen and other royal family members. 

Lighting torches in honor to celebrate Royal events has been a long-standing tradition in the UK. The tradition stems from the beacon chain, a means of rapid communication before the invention of modern technology. It has now become a symbol of celebration across the country, oftentimes considered the center point of a local celebration. There will be three types of beacon events taking place. The community beacons will be the first to be lit are the Community Beacons. Thousands of beacons will be lit by communities, charities and different groups throughout the regions of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories. The second lighting is the Commonwealth Beacons. Beacons will be lit in all capital cities of the Commonwealth, 54 in total. The third beacon event will be the Principal Beacon. It will be lit on the 2nd of June in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Friday, June 3rd a Thanksgiving service for the Queen’s reign will be held at St.Paul’s Cathedral. Details of the event are yet to be released.

  On Saturday, June 4th the Reagent, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Cazoo Derby. The most anticipated horse racing event in the UK, the Cazoo Derby, has been held since 1780. Hailed as the Greatest Flat Race in the World, this derby holds massive significance in the thoroughbred industry. An estimated 500 million people tuned in to watch the race each year. With a prize pot of £1,125 million ($1464 million), The Cazoo Derby is where legends are made.

After attending the Derby, The Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace will commence. The event will feature a range of highlights from global music stars with a full, live orchestra – to actors from film and TV, however, such performers have yet to be announced. The Platinum party is promised to stun the audience with state-of-the-art technology and a stunning stage design. Presenters will take the stage, telling the story and celebrating some of the most significant cultural moments from The Queen’s seven-decade reign. 10,000 tickets were raffled to the British Commonwealth. Those lucky enough to attend in person will witness these events firsthand. 

The following day, Sunday, June 5th, will host the final events of the month-long Jubilee celebration. The Big Jubilee Lunch, also dubbed The Big Lunch, is an opportunity for the commonwealth to come together and celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Queen’s reign. People are encouraged to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better, coming together in a spirit of fun and friendship. Spanning from a street party, picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque. Big Lunches can be as big or small as one desires.

To conclude the month’s ceremonies, the Platinum Jubilee Pageant will take place toward the end of June 5th. An astounding variety of citizens will gather to tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in a festival and parade of creativity. The London-based event will be an amalgamation of street arts, theater, music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology. One of the most important parts of the parade is the “River of Hope.” Two hundred silk flags will be carried down The Mall, positioned to look like a flowing river. Primary and secondary school children will create a picture of their hopes and aspirations for the planet over the next 70 years. A selection of these creations will be transferred onto silk flags, which will be carried by secondary school pupils in the Pageant.