An artist’s impression of the stages outside Buckingham Palace for the Platinum Party at the Palace (BBC/PA)
(Picture: PA Media)The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend is just a week away.
The four-day weekend will be packed full of official events, as well as cultural and community events, that will take place all over the UK.
The major events taking place in London are the Trooping the Colour, Platinum Jubilee Beacons, A Service of Thanksgiving, and the Platinum Party at the Palace.
The royal family will attend these celebrations, but it is unlikely that we’ll know whether or not the Queen will attend certain events until the day itself, due to her mobility issues.
Find out everything you need to know about the Platinum Jubilee weekend below, including who we can expect to see in attendance.
Trooping the Colour
The Queen’s Birthday Parade, also known as Trooping The Colour, will take place on Thursday, June 2.
A military parade made up of 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians will march through London, beginning at 10am.
There will be a six-minute flypast over Buckingham Palace.
The Queen and the royal family will watch the parade from the balcony at the palace. This year, only working members of the royal family will be on the balcony, which means that Prince Andrew, and Prince Harry and Meghan, will not attend.
Joining the Queen on the balcony will be the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons
Thousands of community Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be lit across the UK in honour of the Queen on Thursday, June 2. The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Anchor Chain will begin the ceremonies at 9.30pm, while other beacons will be lit at 9.45pm.
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.”
Platinum Jubilee: A Service of Thanksgiving
A Service of Thanksgiving will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, on Friday, June 3.
The service will be a closed event attended by the royal family–including all four of her children.
Unlike the Trooping of the Colour, Prince Andrew, as well as Prince Harry, and Meghan are expected to attend. However, the Sussexes’ children Archie and Lilibet are not expected to go.
The royal family is expected to arrive around 11am.
Platinum Party at the Palace
The Platinum Party at the Palace will take place outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday, June 4. Members of the royal family are expected to arrive around 7.40pm,a and the concert will last from 8pm until 10.30pm.
Queen and Adam Lambert will open the concert, while musicians including Alicia Keys, Ella Eyre, Duran Duran, Sir Rod Stewart, George Ezra, and Eurovision star Sam Ryder are set to perform. There will also be a specially recorded performance from Sir Elton John.
Other stars, like Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry, and Dame Julie Andrews are also set to make an appearance, either on stage or on film.
