London, UK
Reuters
Inventing puddings and planting trees are just some of the things Britons are invited to do for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, events to mark her 70th anniversary on the throne that culminate in a “blockbuster weekend of celebrations” in June.
The 95-year-old, the longest-reigning monarch in British history, will add another milestone when she marks her Platinum Jubilee in February, with the government planning four days of celebrations from 2nd to 5th June.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth records her annual Christmas broadcast in the White Drawing Room in Windsor Castle, next to a photograph of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, in Windsor, Britain, on 23rd December, 2021. PICTURE: Victoria Jones/Pool via Reuters
Buckingham Palace said Britons aged eight and over were encouraged to apply for a baking competition to find the “perfect Platinum Pudding recipe” dedicated to the queen, while some could also “plant a tree for the Jubilee”.
During the long holiday weekend in June, people will be able to see the Trooping the Colour birthday parade, a service of thanksgiving in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, a party at the palace among other events.
In November, culture minister Oliver Dowden said the four days of celebrations would be “a celebration to remember”.
Elizabeth, who is also the world’s current oldest and longest-reigning monarch, became Queen on 6th February, 1952, on the death of her father George VI.
In September, 2015, she overtook the length of time her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria had spent on the throne, remarking that the historical moment was “not one to which I have ever aspired”.
The plans are similar to those which marked the queen’s 60th anniversary in 2012 when Britain held four days of events in her honour, including a huge flotilla on the River Thames and capped off with a star-studded concert at Buckingham Palace.
