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Agence France-Presse

Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be on a truly royal scale, featuring millions of participants around Britain and climaxing in a TV spectacle expected to be watched by a billion worldwide.
Here is a rundown of the four days of festivities that start Thursday to commemorate the 70-year reign of Britain’s longest-ruling monarch:
Around 1,500 soldiers, 400 army musicians and 250 horses will take part in the traditional “Trooping the Colour” parade Thursday, which returns after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic.
Some 200 soldiers from the Coldstream Guards will line The Mall, leading from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace in central London.
At noon (7pm Hong Kong time) Thursday, 42-gun salutes will be fired across the country to mark the queen’s “official birthday” on June 11.
Selected Royal Navy ships at sea will also fire their guns, along with the Grand Battery in Gibraltar off Spain.
UK’s Jubilee celebrations planned amid anger from Windrush community
An hour later, the Tower of London will salute with no fewer than 124 rounds.
Completing the parade is a six-minute fly-past over Buckingham Palace with more than 70 aircraft from each branch of the armed forces.
They include the Red Arrows, the Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, and a collection of iconic World War II planes including three Spitfire fighters and a Lancaster bomber.
One number will be down on previous gala occasions: the royal family members watching from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Appearances are restricted to “working royals”, which means no Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, nor the queen’s disgraced second son Prince Andrew.
More than 2,800 beacons will be lit Thursday night across the UK, including atop the country’s four highest peaks, as well as on the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and British Overseas Territories.

Flaming tributes will be seen in 54 Commonwealth capitals across five continents, from Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific to Belize in the Caribbean.
Even France is joining in, with buildings on the coast facing England set to be illuminated.
London bridges and landmarks will also light up, along with cathedrals across England.
Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee parade to include corgis, horses, and swans
A national service of thanksgiving takes place at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral Friday, featuring a rare ringing of the Great Paul bell.
At a gigantic 16.5 tonnes, it is the largest bell ever cast in Britain. Its mechanism broke in the 1970s, but it was restored to its former glory last year.
On Saturday, around 22,000 guests including 5,000 “essential workers” such as medics and emergency services staff will attend a BBC concert at Buckingham Palace.

The 2.5-hour musical extravaganza will include performances by Queen + Adam Lambert, Diana Ross, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers and the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.
For Sunday, more than 70,000 people have registered to host “Big Jubilee Lunches”, with 10 million expected to share food and friendship with their neighbours, according to the UK government.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are expected to attend one at The Oval cricket ground in London, where a six-metre felt artwork will be on show featuring a design of the “Platinum Pudding”.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth makes surprise public appearance
The pudding that won the competition for the occasion – a lemon Swiss roll topped by an amaretti trifle – was chosen from nearly 5,000 entries by amateur bakers.
The recipe includes 13 eggs, takes “over two hours” to prepare, and serves 20.
The celebrations culminate Sunday with the “Platinum Jubilee Pageant” – a public parade through central London.
Some 10,000 people are involved in a musical and creative display of how British society has changed since the queen began her rule over what was a very different country in 1952.
Then, the coronation sparked a boom in sales of television sets. Today, a billion viewers are expected to tune in around the world to watch Sunday, climaxing with Ed Sheeran singing God Save the Queen.


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Royalty

Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee: a rundown of four days of festivities

Visitors walk along the Mall towards Buckingham Palace ahead of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in central London.  Photo: Bloomberg

The official Platinum Jubilee portrait of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, photographed at Windsor Castle. Photo: Royal Household/Ranald Mackechnie



The Mall overlooking Buckingham Palace, lined with British flags. Photo: dpa

Various colourful outfits worn by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth throughout the decades. Photo: AFP

Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations planned amid protests and anger from Windrush community

Performers rehearsing their Bollywood-style performance for the upcoming Platinum Jubilee pageant in London. Photo: AP

Performers rehearsing their Bollywood-style performance for Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming jubilee pageant in London. Photo: AP

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth’s 96th birthday marked with gun salutes

Members of the King’s Troop Royal Artillery fire a Royal Salute of 42 guns in Hyde Park to celebrate Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s 96th birthday. AP: Photo

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in March, 2022. She turns 96 on Thursday. File photo: TNS

The Band of the Coldstream Guards, play Happy Birthday to mark the 96th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, alongside the 1st Battalion of the Coldstream Guards during Changing the Guard at Windsor Castle on Thursday. Photo: PA Wire/dpa

Ahead of the queen’s birthday, the Royal Windsor Horse show shared a new portrait of the monarch with her fell ponies, Bybeck Katie and Bybeck Nightingale. Photo: AFP / henrydallalphotography.com 

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee in February. Photo: AFP

Prince William and Kate lead royals at Windsor Castle Easter service but queen does not attend

Britain’s Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, walk with Prince George and Princess Charlotte as they arrive at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, UK on April 17. Photo: Reuters

In Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee year, is UK ready yet for ‘King Charles’?

Britain’s Prince Charles takes part in Lunar New Year celebrations in London’s Chinatown on February 1. Photo: AFP

Britain’s Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and his wife Britain’s Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, take part in Lunar New Year celebrations in London’s Chinatown on February 1. Photo: AFP

Prince of Wales, shakes hands with a man during a visit with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall to Chinatown to mark Lunar New Year. Photo: dpa

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth in 2021. File photo: Reuters

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Charles, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in the House of Lords at the Palace of Westminster, London in 2019. File photo: Reuters

Hong Kong returning to China in 1997. Pictured from left are then Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, Premier Li Peng, President Jiang Zemin, Prince Charles and Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair. File photo: AFP

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UK hosting special tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign from Thursday to Sunday
The 96-year-old UK monarch has reigned for longer than any of her predecessors


Celebrations for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee will be on a truly royal scale, featuring millions of participants around Britain and climaxing in a TV spectacle expected to be watched by a billion worldwide.


Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee: a rundown of four days of festivities

UK hosting special tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign from Thursday to Sunday The 96-year-old UK monarch has reigned for longer than any of her predecessors

UK hosting special tribute to Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign from Thursday to Sunday

The 96-year-old UK monarch has reigned for longer than any of her predecessors