JUBILEE ELIZABETH II. For the 70th anniversary of her reign, Queen Elizabeth II is celebrated in the United Kingdom from this Thursday, and for four days. The details of the program while the health of the monarch leaves some doubts.
[Mis à jour le 2 juin 2022 à 08h09] 70 years. A long, very long reign. This June 2, 2022, the whole of the United Kingdom begins the celebrations of the platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, who arrived on the throne on February 6, 1952 and crowned on June 2, 1953. The beginning of a historic installation on the throne of United Kingdom Never has a monarch reigned so long. So, for an exceptional event, an exceptional program. Many festivities are planned until June 5 to celebrate the reign of the 96-year-old monarch, who is particularly weakened by her state of health. So much so that this Thursday and Friday were declared public holidays by the government, while the crown did not skimp on the means deployed for the occasion: a budget of 33 million euros (28 million pounds) was been planned for all the festivities. What is the program in detail? Will the Queen attend all the events? What is his state of health? We take stock.
Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee kicks off on Thursday June 2 at 10 a.m. London time, 70 years to the day after the Queen of England’s coronation. The four days of celebrations will begin with the traditional ceremony of Trooping the colora military parade that will bring together more than 1,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians according to the official website of the british crown. The parade will depart from Buckingham Palace and join the Horse Guards Parade where members of the Royal Family will join the procession on horseback or in carriage. However, the Queen may not attend the salute of the military troops. In May, the palace warned of the queen’s diminished state of health and “mobility problems”.
One thing remains certain, the Queen will watch the Royal Air Force flypast closing the parade from the balcony of Buckingham Palace and in the company of other members of the Royal Family who are “carrying out official public engagements on behalf of the Queen”. . They should be 18 to overlook the crowd from the balcony but the crown fans will easily spot the absence of Harry and Meghan Markle who have renounced their royal titles, and that of Prince Andrew, the son of the queen accused of assault sex in the Epstein case.
What would a royal ceremony be without the lighting of the beacons? On June 2, the subjects of the Commonwealth will see the illumination of the Platinum Jubilee Beacons. More than 1,500 lanterns will light up throughout the kingdom of Elizabeth II. The capitals of the Commonwealth countries will illuminate their beacons for the first time and a light will shine from 9 p.m. in a 21-metre-high tree in Buckingham.
But the Jubilee celebration will not stop there. On Friday, June 3, a ceremony will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral, in central London. The thanksgiving service will pay homage “to the Queen’s long reign”. The rest of the day will be devoted to the second act of this jubilee: 150 national treasures are set to be “starred” to “highlight the evolution of British and Commonwealth creativity and culture throughout the Queen’s reign” , as explained Hello Magazine. What will this other procession be made up of? Above all, people from civil society, namely 2,500 volunteers and members of the public, “including a 99-year-old person”. This procession “will present key moments in musical trends, dance styles and fashion that have marked the decades.”
On Saturday June 4, the party will continue with one of the most prestigious horse races in the world, the Epsom Downs Derby. Members of the royal family, very attached to this practice, should attend. It will be a busy day as the culmination of the Jubilee, the huge concert at Buckingham Palace, transcribed live and organized by the BBC, will take place in the afternoon. Major international stars are expected: the event is large, so that the British must send their application to hope to participate after a draw.
This jubilee having to come to an end one day, Sunday June 5 was chosen as the closing date. It will be marked by the traditional Big Jubilee Lunch, a moment of conviviality between neighbours. Everyone is invited to share their meal, in the way they wish, with a view to sharing and generosity. The platinum pudding should be honored and present on many tables. The award-winning pastry in the amateur cooking competition organized by the crown is a rolled cake made up of sponge cake, orange jam, lemon pastry cream, almond biscuits, mandarin coulis, orange and chocolate shavings. After this convivial meal, the last parade of the Jubilee will parade through the streets of London around The Mall. More than 5,000 artists are expected to take part in the Platinum Jubilee Pageant which will mix “street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costumes” according to Visit Britain. To pay homage to Queen Elizabeth and her love of animals, a pack of twenty puppets of Corghis, the Queen’s favorite dog, will stroll along with the parade of artists. We should also see different representations of horses, the other passion of the sovereign. Finally, the highlight of the show will be the arrival of Ed Sheeran. At the end of the parade which will go to Buckingham, the singer will give a musical tribute to the monarch.
Which singers will be present for the concerts of the jubilee of Elizabeth II?
A two-and-a-half-hour concert will be held near Buckingham Palace on Saturday June 4, again to celebrate Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee. With the BBC as conductor, the “Platinum Party” will be broadcast live on the antennas of the British channel. The animators Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp will play the masters of ceremonies and will present in turn the singers who will perform on the three stages made available: Diana Ross, Duran Duran, Sir Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, Hans Zimmer, Andrea Bocelli, Mabel but also the British candidate for Eurovision 2022, Sam Ryder. Spectators will also be able to appreciate the talent of Elton John in a performance recorded in advance and broadcast during the concert.
One of the most anticipated singers for this platinum jubilee is none other than Ed Sheeran. The British artist who said at the end of April that he was “proud to be part of the celebrations” will give a concert at Buckingham Palace to close the four-day platinum jubilee celebration.
Exhibitions on the Queen of England
Several exhibitions are also planned to celebrate this exceptionally long reign. Organized by the Royal Collection Trust, they will take place some time after this week of jubilee: from July 7 to September 26, 2022, Windsor Castle will hold an exhibition focusing on the Queen’s accession to the throne. On July 22 until October 2, 2022, another will look back on his coronation: it will be held in the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace. Finally, Scots will be able to rediscover all the outfits worn by the Queen during previous jubilees at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, from July to September 2022.
The Queen of England, pillar of the British family, is certainly the most famous monarch in the world. She is by far the first sovereign of the United Kingdom to achieve such longevity, knowing that in Europe, the sovereign who reigned the longest was the French king Louis XIV, with 72 years of reign. A period that Elizabeth II could soon exceed. To celebrate this reign, jubilees were organized on several occasions.
The Golden Jubilee had been Queen Elizabeth II’s first. An international event held in 2002, it marked his 50 years of reign. The jubilee was marked by a large multitude of popular events throughout London in June of the same year, supplemented by events in the Commonwealth realms. The Queen had attended all official celebrations with her husband, the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. For a full year, the royal couple had traveled more than 64,373.76 km to the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and then around the United Kingdom, before ending this tour with a visit to Canada.
Then in 2012, the United Kingdom had already celebrated the diamond jubilee of Elizabeth II marking her 60 years of reign. This event was international: in accordance with the tradition of jubilees, a “jubilee medal”, in diamond, is awarded in the various Commonwealth countries, public holidays are decreed and public demonstrations are organized. For information, Queen Victoria was the only other monarch in the history of the United Kingdom to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee, in 1897. This time, in 2022, the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth will mark her 70 years of service . Festivities are also planned.
If the festivities promise to be numerous and joyful, there is however a shadow on the board: the Queen of England will not be able to attend all the events. At 96, Elizabeth II is facing health concerns. Since her hospitalization in October 2021, she has been moving around with a cane and has reduced her public appearances in recent months. Her doctors have therefore recommended that she give priority to rest: she will in fact not be able to follow the entirety of this very busy program, even if she will be present on the balcony of the royal palace to follow the Trooping the color, this Thursday.
An exceptional event, an exceptional gift. To celebrate the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II, Emmanuel Macron sent him a very special gift. The President of the Republic has indeed donated to the monarch a Republican Guard horse, as revealed Paris Match. This is Fabuleu de Maucour, “flagship horse of the cavalry of the regiment”. In addition, a saddle and a saber from the Republican Guard were also offered to the sovereign on Wednesday, June 1. Note that Emmanuel Macron will not be present at the festivities in England but will rekindle the flame of the unknown soldier, this Thursday, in tribute, accompanied by the ambassador of the United Kingdom in France.