The central weekend to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee will take place from Saturday 2 June to Tuesday 5 June, and will be marked with celebratory activities throughout the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth. Here is our look at some of the highlights of the four-day weekend.
The Queen’s visit to the Epsom Derby on 2 June.
The Big Jubilee Lunch, taking place on 3 June, will build on the already popular Big Lunch initiative, encouraging people to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the diamond jubilee celebrations.
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June will take place on the Thames and consist of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world. The Queen will travel in the Royal Barge which will lead the fabulous flotilla.
The BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace is a televised diamond jubilee concert on
4 June, with tickets available to UK residents by public ballot. Details on how to apply for the concert will be available at a later date.
The Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession will take place on 5 June at St Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a formal carriage procession by the Queen.
Buckingham Palace is also to house a dazzling exhibition of diamonds to mark the Queen’s diamond jubilee. The Royal Collection’s tribute will be the focal point of the palace’s 2012 summer opening, and will include an unprecedented display of some of the sovereign’s personal jewels.
The Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations will also see the royal family travelling widely in 2012. The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will embark on a series of region visits and engagements throughout the UK this year.
Other members of the royal family will travel further afield. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel to Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, whilst Prince Harry will journey to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
