2022 will mark 70 years on the throne for Her Majesty.
After more than a year of canceled events and lockdowns, Queen Elizabeth II is bringing some pomp and circumstance back to the British monarchy in 2022. The 95-year-old queen of England and the longest reigning monarch in the world is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee next year and Buckingham Palace has announced major celebrations throughout the United Kingdom to mark the occasion.
The Platinum Jubilee marks 70 years of service for the queen, who ascended the throne in 1952 at the age of 25. Leading up to the celebration, Queen Elizabeth and members of the royal family will travel the country in anticipation for the main event, which will start June 2, 2022 with the annual Trooping the Colour parade. The event, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021, will not hold back next year with 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses, and 400 musicians. The parade takes the queen and members of the royal family down The Mall outside of Buckingham Palace in horse-drawn carriages. As in years past, there will be a RAF fly over and members of the royal family will greet the public from the balcony at the palace.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons will also be lit throughout the U.K., Channel Islands, Isle of Man, capital cities of countries in the Commonwealth, and overseas territories to mark the occasion.
There will be several other events to mark the occasion including the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, The Big Jubilee Lunch, and The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, featuring 5,000 participants from across the U.K. and the Commonwealth.
Two big events will include the Derby at Epsom Downs, a horse race which will be attended by the queen and members of the royal family, as well as the Platinum Party at the Palace, which is set to bring together "the world's biggest entertainment stars" to celebrate Her Majesty's reign.
It's been a difficult few years for the royal family. Both Prince Charles and Prince William contracted the COVID-19 virus in 2020. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior members of the royal family and have publicly been at-odds with the establishment after relocating to Montecito, California. And this past April, Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Philip, died at the age of 99. But in recent months there have also been causes for celebration. Her Majesty celebrated her 95th birthday in April, and she as well as Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, have publicly received the COVID-19 vaccination.
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