The Platinum Jubilee is the cause for a host of celebrations – all only a few days away.
The four-day weekend is packed full of events, including a Trooping the Colour ceremony, a Jubilee luncheon, a Service of Thanksgiving and a star-studded pageant.
Britons and many abroad will be joining celebrations with this particular ceremony – the Platinum Jubilee Beacons.
As the Queen approaches 70 years on the throne an official ceremony of beacons will also take place to honour the monarch’s service.
Here’s what you need to know about the Platinum Jubilee Beacons.
What are the Platinum Jubilee Beacons?
An official Jubilee weekend event – the beacons are a marker to celebrate the 70-year milestone.
Lanterns will be lit across the nation, as well as in Commonwealth countries across the long weekend – but not for the first time.
The official website states: “There is a long tradition of celebrating royal jubilees, weddings and coronations with the lighting of beacons.
“A beacon chain, once used as a tool for communication, has now become a symbol of unity across towns, borders, countries and continents and is often the central point of focus for any outdoor gathering or celebration.”
The last time the lanterns were lit was for the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016.
They were also used in 1977, 2002 and 2012 to celebrate Elizabeth II’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
Queen Victoria saw the beacons lit in 1897 for her Diamond Jubilee.
Where are the Platinum Jubilee Beacons?
For the first time, Commonwealth countries will partake in lighting the beacons.
The ceremony will be held in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and British Overseas Territories.
See the full list below.
When will the Platinum Jubilee Beacons be lit?
At 9.30pm, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Anchor Chain will begin the ceremonies in the UK.
More than 1,500 beacons will be lit on the evening of June 2, with many starting later at 9.45pm.
Beacons along Hadrian’s Wall will be lit at 10pm, with the principal beacon at the Mall in central London.
The international beacons will be lit at 9.15pm local time.
How can I take part in the lighting of the Beacons?
Local groups are able to host their own beacon lighting ceremonies by signing up on the official site.
Groups must have signed up before May 31, 2022.
You may invite a local official, like your Mayor or Leader of the Council, or host a competition to see who gets to light it.
Here is the full list of cities abroad taking part:
- St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
- Canberra, Australia
- Nassau, Bahamas
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Bridgetown, Barbados
- Belmopan, Belize
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
- Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Ottawa, Canada
- Nicosia, Cyprus
- Roseau, Dominica
- Mbabane, Ewatini
- Lobamba, Eswatini
- Suva, Fiji
- Banjul, The Gambia
- Accra, Ghana
- St George’s, Grenada
- Georgetown, Guyana
- New Delhi, India
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Nairobi, Kenya
- South Tarawa, Kiribati
- Maseru, Lesotho
- Lilongwe, Malawi
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Malé, Maldives
- Valletta, Malta
- Port Louis, Mauritius
- Maputo, Mozambique
- Windhoek, Namibia
- Yaren, Nauru
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Abuja, Nigeria
- Islamabad, Pakistan
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- Kigali, Rwanda
- Basseterre, St Kitts and Nevis
- Castries, St Lucia
- Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Apia, Samoa
- Victoria, Seychelles
- Freetown, Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Honiara, Solomon Islands
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka
- Colombo, Sri Lanka
- Dodoma, Tanzania
- Nuku’alofa, Tonga
- Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
- Funafuti, Tuvalu
- Kampala, Uganda
- Port Vila, Vanuatu
- Lusaka, Zambia
