We got the news already last year that 2022 would be special with a celebration for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over the 2-5 June bank holiday weekend. As exciting as having an extra two days off of work is, there is much more to look forward to in addition to this one action-packed weekend as there are other events taking place throughout the year!
First some background: The Queen already acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952, upon the death of her father, meaning that, in a matter of weeks, she will have already reached the 70 year milestone. This is the first time a British monarch will celebrate a platinum jubilee. Her Coronation took place the following year, on 2 June 1953, in Westminster Abbey.
So what is it that is going on and when will the events take place?
The Platinum Pudding competition just opened for entries, so, if you are feeling creative and eager to get cooking, this may be something for you: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/platinum-pudding
There will be special displays marking the Accession, the Coronation and Jubilees at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and at the Palace of Holyroodhouse starting in July: https://www.rct.uk/about/news-and-features/the-queens-platinum-jubilee-special-displays-at-the-official-residences#/
There will also be events at the Queen’s private estates, Sandringham and Balmoral, that local residents and visitors can enjoy.
And then, of course, on the Bank holiday weekend itself, there will be:
Trooping the Colour (the Queen's Birthday Parade, 2 June), for which the ballot for tickets just opened today https://qbp.army.mod.uk. Also, the Trooping the Colour "rehearsals" (they are not actually called that) will be on 21 and 28 May, and tickets for those can be purchased directly (no ballot) via the same site; sales also started today.
A Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral (3 June).
The Platinum Party at the Palace (4 June) is a special live concert at Buckingham Palace. Details of the ballot for UK residents to get tickets will come out in February.
The Big Jubilee Lunch (5 June) are neighbourhood parties that communities organise to celebrate the Jubilee together. Thousands of such events are already registered: https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/the-big-jubilee-lunch
A Platinum Jubilee Pageant (5 June) will take place in London, with pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, and visual technology: https://www.platinumpageant.com/#platinum-pageant
Details of all these events and more can be found here: https://www.royal.uk/platinum-jubilee-central-weekend
So there are lots of great reasons to visit the UK, and especially London, in 2022!