Sunday Spectacle: Plans For Next Year's Platinum Jubilee Pageant Are Unveiled

Jun 29, 2021 by apost team

On Feb. 6 of this year, Queen Elizabeth II added another year to her reign as Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms, making her the ruling monarch for 69 years and counting. Just last year, when she hit 68 years, she surpassed the 7th-century Mayan ruler Pakal the Great to become the fourth longest-serving monarch. She's only bested by three other rulers including Louis XIV of France, Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and Johann II of Liechtenstein. The longest reign stands at 72 years and 110 days, with many believing the queen could make it to the top spot.

But that's not the only title she holds — she's already the longest-reigning British monarch, a feat she achieved in Sep. 2015. In fact, she's got titles aplenty — the longest-lived British monarch, the longest-reigning current monarch, and the world's longest-serving female head of state in history, among others. Queen Elizabeth II is truly an incredible woman and at 95 years old, it really looks like there's no stopping her.

In fact, details of the celebrations for when the queen marks 70 years as the ruling monarch next February have just been announced. And considering she will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, there's been no expense spared. Set to take place over four days, the festivities will culminate on the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which will be held on June 5, 2022. Additionally, the people of Britain will enjoy a four-day public holiday over the course of the weekend. Let's take a look at what festivities are expected to take place. 

Revealed at the Victoria and Albert Museum today, Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Pageant will take place next summer on June 5, 2022. The event will honor the queen's then-seven-decade-long reign as the monarch of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth realms, which she will officially pass on Feb. 6, 2022. 

Celebrations are set to play out all over London, while the public will be treated to a four-day public holiday — from Thursday, June 2 until Sunday, June 5 — in honor of the event. Pageant Master Adrian Evans detailed that the event's budget is a whopping £10–15 million and will include participants from all over the U.K. and other parts of the Commonwealth. 

In the lead-up to the June pageant, the queen and other members of the royal family will travel all over the county as they attend various events celebrating the milestone. The celebrations will then culminate in the Platinum Jubilee weekend, which is expected to be one of the largest celebratory events hosted on U.K. soil in decades. The event has even been described as a kind of reopening ceremony for the country, in light of the pandemic restrictions that have been in place for over one year already.

The major festivities will begin on Thursday, June 2 with Trooping the Colour, which will mark the first time the event will be staged in full since the start of the pandemic. Then on Saturday, June 4, a service giving thanks for the queen's reign will take place at St Paul's Cathedral. 

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Finally, on Sunday, June 5, central London is expected to shine with color, dance, and street theater, as the official pageant gets underway. Giving a nod to each decade of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the pageant will reflect her interests, which include horses and corgis among other passions. 

Featuring over 5,000 people, the pageant will be split into three acts, the first of which will feature serving troops and veterans in a march in front of Buckingham Palace's The Mall. 

The second act is where the fun really begins. Titled "Celebration," this stage will include an enormous puppet dragon whose wingspan will be as wide as The Mall and who is bigger than an iconic double-decker bus. This stage will also include circus acts such as acrobats and trapeze artists, as well as a fairy story entitled "There Once Is A Queen." Specially written by acclaimed author Sir Michael Morpurgo for the event, the story will be enacted by artists on the day.

The third act, however, is still being kept secret. Other events will also take place including a live concert named Platinum Party at the Palace, which will feature some of today's biggest stars, as well as a day at the races for the queen and her family.

Specific members of the royal family haven't been named yet but it's expected that Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend events over the course of the weekend. Co-chairman of the pageant, Nicholas Coleridge, described the event, as reported by the Daily Mail:

"'The Platinum Jubilee weekend is an opportunity for the country to emerge re-energised and renewed, expressing optimism and confidence." 

What do you think about Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebrations? Be sure to pass this on to other royal fans you know so they can find out too!