On Friday, May 6, 2022, Buckingham Palace published new updates regarding Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s upcoming Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

On Thursday, June 2, 2022, The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) will take place at Horse Guards Parade in London at 10am:

“The colour will be trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, and more than 1200 officers and soldiers from the Household Division will put on a display of military pageantry on Horse Guards Parade, together with hundreds of Army musicians and around 240 horses. This annual event has now marked the official birthday of the British Sovereign for over 260 years.

During The Queen’s Birthday Parade A Royal Gun Salute will be fired.

There is an opportunity for people to view the display along The Mall as the troops parade to and from Horse Guards Parade on its journey between Buckingham Palace and the parade ground.

During the ceremony, there will be an opportunity to watch the event on a large screen at St James’s Park and many more members of the public will be able to watch the spectacle live on television, across the world. Once the parade has ended and the Royal Procession has returned to Buckingham Palace, the Royal Family’s balcony appearance will happen as in previous years.

Platinum Jubilee Flypast

There will be an impressive Flypast to coincide with the Royal Family’s balcony appearance.”

This morning Buckingham Palace announced that “…after careful consideration, The Queen has decided that this year’s Trooping the Colour balcony appearance will be limited to Her Majesty and those Members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of The Queen.” Below is the list of those who will appear on the balcony at Buckingham Palace:

• Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II *To be announced on the day of the celebrations*
• TRHs The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
• TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
• HRH The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence
• TRHs The Earl and Countess of Wessex
• TRHs The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
• HRH The Duke of Kent
• HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honorable Lady Oglivy

It was also confirmed that Her Majesty’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Lady Louise Windsor and James, The Viscount Severn, His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge and His Royal Highness Prince Louis of Cambridge will also make an appearance on the balcony at Buckingham Palace:

“In addition, the Cambridge and Wessex children are also expected to appear as is Sir Tim Laurence, who the Queen is happy to attend as a frequent attendee and support for The Princess Royal on official engagements.”

Notably absent from the list: The Duke of York along with Harry and Meghan. However, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan proudly announced this morning that the former senior working royals will attend Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, “…[the couple] are excited and honored to attend The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children.”

It is my guess that the former working royals — Andrew, Harry and Meghan — will celebrate privately with the family hence no photos of the former royal trio. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing. The focus should be on Her Majesty The Queen and her historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Moving on… Buckingham Palace also announced the Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be displayed in over:

“…2,000 towns, villages and cities throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories will come together to light a beacon to mark the Jubilee. Beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries.

The principal beacon lighting will take place in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening. This will take the form of a lighting installation with The Queen’s Green Canopy ‘Tree of Trees’ sculpture and projections onto the front of Buckingham Palace. This innovative new way of taking part in the beacon lighting will reflect the Royal Family’s long history of championing environmental causes.

National Service of Thanksgiving

A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will be rung for the Service. It was made in 1882, but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism. It was restored in 2021 and has been rung on 8 occasions since, but this is the 1st Royal occasion for which it will be rung. The Service of Thanksgiving starts at 11.30am and Great Paul will be rung between 10.50am to 10.55am followed by a peal of bells. A reception will be held at Guildhall following the Service.

The service will include a new Anthem by Judith Weir, Master of The Queen’s Music, that sets to music words from the third Chapter of the Book of Proverbs.

Saturday 4th June:

The Derby – Epsom Downs Racecourse

As part of the central weekend celebrations, Epsom Downs Racecourse will stage the 243rd running of The Derby.

BBC Platinum Party at the Palace

Hosts Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp, will lead live coverage of the Platinum Party at the Palace to be shown air live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and across the BBC. The celebration will see famous faces from the world of entertainment brought together to perform for a night of musical tributes to celebrate the Jubilee. 22,000 people will attend the event including 10,000 allocated in a public ballot and 5,000 tickets for key workers. And now for the first time, the BBC have released artist visuals of the impressive setting and stage where the acts will perform. The full line-up of acts will be announced by the BBC in the coming weeks.

Sunday 5th June:

The Big Jubilee Lunch

Over 60,000 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches on over the central weekend, with events ranging from world record attempts for the longest street party to back garden BBQ’s and everything in between. As millions of people across the UK sit down to share lunch in their communities, a flagship event will be taking place at The Oval in London where a specially invited audience will share friendship, food and fun together with entertainment at the iconic venue. People are joining in across the world with over 600 international Big Jubilee Lunches being planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond – from Canada to Brazil, New Zealand to Japan and South Africa to Switzerland.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant

Evoking the Coronation at the very start of the Platinum Pageant, the Bells of Westminster Abbey will chime, as they did on Coronation Day. As they do so, The Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry will lead The Gold State Coach along a crowd-thronged pageant route back to Buckingham Palace.

The Gold State Coach is used to transport the Monarch on the occasion of their Coronation and Jubilees, and it has not been seen in on the streets of London for twenty years.

The Gold State Coach is the Platinum Pageant’s iconic figurehead; a ‘crown jewel’ made yet more awesome by the glittering livery worn by its four pairs of Windsor Greys. Everywhere you look, in the golden sculptures and painted panels, in the uniforms of the postillions, grooms, footmen, attendants and mounted guards, there is rich tradition and history.

At the Platinum Pageant, The Gold State Coach plays a remarkable role. Original film footage recorded on Coronation Day will be used to recreate the magic of that extraordinary occasion.

The Pageant will serve as an opportunity to gather and pay tribute to Her Majesty. It will culminate with the singing of the National Anthem, ‘God Save the Queen’. A gospel choir will join the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.

The Pageant itself will bring to life iconic moments from The Queen’s reign as well as showcasing our changing society over the past 70 years.

10,000 people are involved, including the military, over 6,000 volunteers, performers, key workers and 2,500 members of the public.

National treasures and iconic figures from music, film, sport and the arts will take part in the Pageant including much-loved celebrity names, alongside military personnel, key workers and volunteers.

The Big Jubilee Lunch is still accepting orders for free packs to get street parties started or for people to find out where a public event in their area may be taking place.

The Armed Forces will also take a leading role in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant on Sunday 5th June. Around 1,800 members of Armed Forces personnel, representing the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force, will lead Act 1 of the pageant. Six military bands will form part of the military contingent and the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom will be joined representatives from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth nations. The military section of the pageant will involve personnel from regiments and units across the Union, including those with a special relationship with The Queen.“