The UK is being given a rare extra bank holiday this year to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The event will mark the monarch's record-breaking 70 years on the throne.
And to make it happen, things have been moved about this year. The spring bank holiday, which usually takes place on the last Monday in May each year, has been moved to Thursday, June 2.
In addition, an extra Platinum Jubilee bank holiday has been put in place on Friday, June 3, to make up the four-day celebrations. The country is set to bring out the bunting to mark the occasion, which actually fell on Sunday, February 6, reports the MEN.
The historic event will see a whole host of public events held to mark the occasion, from the Platinum Pudding Competition - aimed at finding a dish to dedicate to Elizabeth II 's long reign - to the Queen's Green Canopy initiative, which will plant new trees to present to her at the end of the year.
The royal website said: "On February 6 this year Her Majesty The Queen became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. It marks 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
"To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four-day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5. The bank holiday will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the historic milestone."
