In honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th birthday, a national bank holiday will be observed from Thursday, June 2, through Sunday, June 5, to commemorate the occasion.
On February 6, the Queen celebrated her 70th jubilee, the date of her accession to the throne following the death of her father King George VI at the age of 25. The lead-up to this weekend’s national holiday has already seen a number of celebrations in the United Kingdom. Trooping the Colour, Queen Elizabeth II’s birthday procession; a concert at Buckingham Palace featuring Queen and Diana Ross; and a closing Platinum Jubilee Pageant are all part of the Jubilee celebrations.
Major sporting events will be broadcast live from BBC Studios in the United Kingdom on BBC One. ABC News will air BBC Studios’ coverage of the Jubilee exclusively, and shows including “Good Morning America,” “World News Tonight With David Muir,” and “Nightline” will do so as well. Live broadcasts of “Good Morning America” and “GMA3: What You Need to Know” from London’s Jubilee celebrations will begin on June 2 for the two shows. A number of ABC’s shows, including the Buckingham Palace concert, will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Platinum Jubilee weekend has a comprehensive calendar of events and times to view them.
The second of June is this Thursday.
For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, Queen Elizabeth II’s annual birthday parade will take place in Central London. Starting at Buckingham Palace, the parade will make its way to the Horse Guards Parade field. Over 1,200 officers from the Queen’s Household Division, as well as hundreds of military musicians and the Irish Guards 1st Battalion, will take part in the parade. The ceremony will come to a finale with a balcony appearance by the Queen and members of her family on the Parade grounds. It’s currently 10 a.m. GMT / 2 a.m. PT.
Following the march, 1,500 beacons will be illuminated across the United Kingdom and its overseas territories as a mark of respect. In a special ceremony, Buckingham Palace’s central beacon will be ignited. (8:00 p.m. local time / 12:00 p.m. Eastern time)
On Friday, June 3, St Paul’s Cathedral will host a service in celebration of the Queen’s reign. Attendees will include members of the British royal family. It’s currently 9:15 a.m. GMT (9:15 a.m. PST).
This Saturday, June 4th, the Palace is hosting a Platinum Party. Numerous well-known artists performed on three stages at Buckingham Palace. The lineup includes Queen with Adam Lambert, Jax Jones, Mabel, Stefflon Dun, Elbow, Craig David, George Ezra, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Mimi Webb, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sir Elton John, Diversity, Sam Ryder, Sir Rod Stewart, Andrea Bocelli, Nile Rodgers, Alicia Keys, Celeste, Sigala and Ella Eyre, Mica Paris, and Diana Ross. In addition to BBC One and ABC News, Hulu will air the ABC News broadcast of the two-hour concert the following day. It’s currently 7:30 p.m. GMT, or 11:30 a.m. PT.
A pageant honouring Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee will be held on Sunday, June 6, with a cast of hundreds of performers, musicians, and military personnel portraying the tale of the monarch’s reign in four parts. Parade of 200 silk flags with messages from youngsters on what they hope to accomplish in the next 70 years will also be part of the show (1 p.m. GMT/ 5 a.m. PT)