“God save the Queen!” The English national anthem is likely to be sung and re-sung over the next few days. Indeed, the United Kingdom is preparing to celebrate the 96th birthday of the queen and especially the 70th anniversary of the reign of Elizabeth II. The country organizes for the occasion the platinum jubilee from June 2 to 5. Two holidays have been declared for the occasion.
Prince Harry should make the trip, accompanied by his wife Meghan Markle, little Archie (3 years old) and little Lilibeth who has never met her great-grandmother and who will celebrate her first birthday on June 4.
If London will obviously be the nerve center of the festivities, more than 200,000 events are planned throughout the country and even beyond the borders. In the program :
Thursday June 2
Every year, for 260 years, the British sovereign has celebrated his public birthday in June (for the milder temperatures). June 2 was chosen this year to celebrate the Queen’s 96th birthday. The traditional “Trooping the Colour” ceremony, the military parade, will officially launch the festivities. More than 1,500 soldiers, musicians will parade in front of the members of the royal family who will appear on the large balcony of Buckingham Palace. Royal Air Force planes will obviously make an appearance.
A spokesperson for the royal family clarified that only “members who work full-time for the Crown” will appear on the balcony. Prince Harry and his family will have to find another point of view.
In the evening, more than 2,800 signal lights will be lit at the palace, across the country and in 54 Commonwealth capitals on five continents. The nine bridges spanning the Thames in London will also be illuminated, as will the iconic BT Tower in the capital, as well as several cathedrals in England. The lanterns represent the symbol of “unity between cities, borders, countries and continents”
Friday, June 3
A Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The bell of the Great Paul (Great Paul bell) will be rung for the occasion. Dating from 1882, the bell is the largest church in the country. Its mechanism broke in the 1970s. It was repaired last year and has sounded only eight times since. This time, all members of the royal family, without distinction, will be able to attend the religious service.
At the end of the mass, the royal family is expected at the old town hall of the City of London for a reception organized by the mayor of the city.
Saturday June 4
The afternoon should delight the queen. Passionate about horse racing, she should attend the Epsom derby surrounded by all her family.
Then in the evening, return to London for a gigantic concert in front of Buckingham Palace where a huge stage has been set up. Alicia Keys, Duran Duran, Diana Ross and Adam Lambert are a few singers whose arrival has been announced. A lottery system has been set up to select the lucky ones who will be able to attend.
Sunday June 5
Last day of this jubilee. And what better than to end it with the traditional Big English Brunch, the one that celebrates the relationships between neighbours, within a family or a community. Kits containing flags, cooking recipes and other gadgets are made available to residents.
A parade, called the Jubilee Pageant, of 3 kilometers will parade through the streets of London. The procession will descend the famous avenue The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Artists, celebrities, soldiers from the various components of the army, and deserving or distinguished citizens will be part of the procession, as will the famous State Golden Coach. British singer Ed Sheeran will host the parade outside the palace. He should sing the national anthem.
The queen has currently planned to attend the “Hail to the Colors” ceremony and the horse races. His current state of health does not allow him to participate in the Jubilee Pageant. For the rest, it will depend on its form of the day.
–
