Queen’s platinum jubilee 2022: What has happened so far?

Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating an unprecedented 70 years on the British throne. Across four days of outlandish pomp and ceremony, the British people will celebrate the life and times of a Queen who has ruled over them since 1952. 

The 96-year-old is Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and the third-longest reigning in world history. She is surpassed only by the French King Louis XIV, who ruled for some 72 years between 1643 and 1715, and Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was on the throne from 1946 to 2016. 

The 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebration kicked off on Thursday to much fanfare. Here are the highlights so far.

Thursday, June 2

After distant cannon shots around the commonwealth, celebrations began with the Queen’s birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour.

1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians took part in the 260-year-old march from Buckingham Palace down the Mall to the Horse Guards Parade, as thousands of royal fans donned in Union Jacks and Queen memorabilia cheered them on. 

At least four protestors from Animal Rebellion, an animal rights and climate justice group, jumped over the barriers and tried to interrupt the Trooping the Colour. 

The action, the group said, was aimed at “demanding that royal land is reclaimed” and to protest “the Crown’s inaction on the climate emergency and continued support for meat, fishing, and dairy”.

The parade ended with a flyover by the Red Arrows which was watched by crowds in London and four generations of the royal family from the famed Buckingham Palace balcony.

Prince Andrew, the Queen’s son who was recently embroiled in a sex scandal and banished from front-line duties, tested positive for COVID and missed the parade. Buckingham Palace said he wouldn’t attend Friday’s church service with his family, either. 

Four-year-old Prince Loius did not appear to be a fan of the Royal Airforce flyover, which saw 70 aircraft thunder over The Mall. He covered his ears and made a shocked expression, prompting his great-grandmother to laugh. 

After dark, more than 2,000 towns and cities in the UK and overseas lit beacons to mark the Jubilee. Fires were started by ‘beacon masters’ on hilltops, castle walls, country estates and farm fields, in a practice dating back to medieval times. 

Late on Thursday evening Her Majesty announced that, while she had “greatly enjoyed” the first day of celebrations, she “did experience some discomfort” and would not attend Friday’s events. 

Friday, June 3

Kicking off the morning’s events at 10.50am, the Great Paul, the largest church bell in the UK, rang for five minutes, followed by a longer peal of bells until 11:25 a.m. This came ahead of the traditional thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London. 

The BBC reported that the Queen would be watching the event on television from Windsor. As a devout Christian, she was said to be disappointed to not be able to attend in person.

In an unexpected turn of events, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was booed loudly by crowds that gathered outside the cathedral as he made his entrance.

Other guests and dignitaries in attendance were Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, with Prince Charles officially representing the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The latter were cheered by the crowd as they arrived for their first royal event together since leaving the UK two years ago.

After the service, guests and dignitaries filed over to the sunny courtyard of London’s Guildhall, where they tucked into smoked Norfolk duck breast, smoked salmon, beetroot shortbread and clotted cream vanilla ice cream. 

Polling data released ahead of the Jubillee weekend by YouGov showed that 62 per cent of the UK population were in favour of the monarchy, 22 per cent wanted an elected head of state, and 16 per cent said they did not know.

What’s happening on the rest of the weekend?

On Saturday evening there will be a star-studded musical event, the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace, which will feature musicians including Queen, Sir Elton John, Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, and Diana Ross.

To cap off the celebrations, Sunday will be marked by nationwide street parties and a massive pageant that will process through the area around Buckingham Palace. This will include the queen’s gold state coach, as well as members of the military from across the UK and the Commonwealth. 

After that, decorated double-decker buses, UK celebrities, circus artists and more will make their way along the route to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.