Details of the Golden Jubilee weekend
Published
THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN
Further details of The Queen's Golden Jubilee Weekend have been announced today, with celebrations ranging from street parties to a unique pageant along The Mall.
The Jubilee Weekend, taking place 1-4 June, will comprise a four-day festival of events culminating in a procession in central London commemorating the past fifty years of the Queen's reign, and the cultural diversity achieved both within the UK and across the Commonwealth.
Saturday, 1 June
The Golden Jubilee celebrations will start on the evening of Saturday 1 June with a classical concert including major international stars in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, watched by an audience of 12,000 drawn by public ballot.
It will also be seen by many thousands on large video screens specially erected in London and other towns and cities across the United Kingdom to enable as many people as possible to share in the celebrations.
Sunday, 2 June
This day will be more of a day of reflection focussed on Jubilee church services and bell-ringing across the nation and in the Commonwealth, where The Queen is also Head of State of 15 other countries apart from the United Kingdom.
Monday, 3 June
Monday will see celebration parties and bonfires. Communities will be united in festivity through the staging of garden and street parties as well as other celebrations, including the lighting of beacons and bonfires.
The Queen's Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust, a charity, is working with the organisation Golden Jubilee Summer Party which, in partnership with local authorities, church groups, public bodies, broadcasters, youth organisations, business, charitable and other organisations from all parts of the community, will promote participation in the Golden Jubilee and a sense of pride and unity.
At lunchtime on Monday, 3 June, and to coincide with a BBC programme of Music Live, it is hoped that church bells, gongs, and other forms of music making will be sounded to signal the start of the Festival celebrations.
These will range from simple gatherings of friends to mass events in public parks and on village greens.
In a replica of events at the last Golden Jubilee, that of Queen Victoria in 1887, a chain of beacons and bonfires will be lit across the UK from Lands End to John O'Groats and from Great Yarmouth to Holyhead, at the Arctic Circle and in Antartica as well as in the Commonwealth, as a climax to the day's festivities. The beacons will form a chain across the UK.
The major informal festivities on Monday, 3 June start with a rock and pop concert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in the evening, again watched by an audience of 12,000 drawn from the public and broadcast through screens nationwide as well as on television.
Afterwards, The Queen will light a special beacon on the Mall outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. This will be followed by a spectacular "Son et Lumiere Fireworks" programme in the vicinity of Buckingham Palace.
Tuesday, 4 June
Tuesday, 4 June will start with a State Procession from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral for a Thanksgiving Service.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will use the Coronation Gold Coach to proceed to St Paul's.
After the service at St Paul's and a lunch at The Guildhall hosted by the City, The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh will return to Horse Guards where they will watch a National Festival of processions down the Mall.
The Mall Pageant will include:
* a carnival theme
* youth bands and performers
* Commonwealth procession
* commemoration of the Queen's fifty years with key personalities, achievers and stars of the reign
* a flypast by the RAF and Concorde as The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace
Related content
Announcement of plans for the central Diamond Jubilee weekend in 2012
The Queen's Commonwealth Day Message, 2011
Let us all give a thought to the practical ways in which we, as individuals or as groups, can provide support to girls and women – so that everyone can have a chance of a...
A speech by The Queen at the United Nations General Assembly, 2010
In my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good.
A speech by The Queen at the South Africa State Banquet, 2010
South Africa and the United Kingdom have long been the closest of friends.
A speech by The Queen at the opening of CHOGM, 2009
Our shared pledge to “the pursuit of peace, liberty and progress” that my father helped to enshrine in the London Declaration in 1949 means as much today as it did then.
A speech by The Queen in Trinidad and Tobago, 2009
Prince Philip and I are delighted to be back in Trinidad and Tobago after more than twenty years, renewing our happy association with your country.
A speech by The Queen in Bermuda, 2009
The United Kingdom will continue to follow and support Bermuda's progress to the very best of her ability
A speech by The Queen at the Indian State Banquet, 2009
Relations between our two countries are built on strong and deep foundations, and are set fair for the 21st century.
Visit by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh to Bermuda, and Trinidad and Tobago
The Queen's Commonwealth Day message, 2009
We can rightly celebrate the fact that the founding members’ vision of the future has become a reality.
A speech by The Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting dinner, 2009
I am delighted to welcome you all here this evening.
Christmas Broadcast 2008
When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.
A speech by The Queen at the '1914-1918 Vigil' at Canada House
Among the millions who lost their lives in the Great War were many Canadians who came to Europe to fight for peace.
Christmas Broadcast 2007
The Christmas story also draws attention to all those people who are on the edge of society
A speech by The Queen at CHOGM, Uganda, 2007
Recognising that each one of us is made up of layer upon layer of identity and that each of our unique personalities has ties to culture, religion, community, country and...
A speech by The Queen at the CHOGM Dinner, Kampala, 2007
I am so very pleased to be with you again and wish you every success in your deliberations.
A speech by The Queen at the Parliament Building in Kampala
It gives me great pleasure to address this House today in recognition of the importance of parliamentary democracy to the Commonwealth as a whole.
A speech by The Queen at the Ugandan State Banquet,2007
We are so pleased to be back in Uganda.
The Queen's message to the President of the Republic of India
The Queen's message to the people of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Diamond Wedding Anniversary: Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey
A speech by The Queen at Imperial College
By discharging this academic mission, you play a vital role in supporting this country's position on the world stage.
A speech by The Queen at the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge
The Canadian Corps transformed Vimy Ridge from a symbol of despair into a source of inspiration.
A speech by The Queen at the Ghana State Banquet, 2007
Ghana today is a progressive, open society. The economy is buoyant, and growth and prosperity are being fostered by a pluralistic and lively political debate and by your...
Christmas Broadcast 2006
The birth of a baby brings great happiness - but then the business of growing up begins.
Retirement of Sir Robin Janvrin, The Queen's Private Secretary
A speech by The Queen at Mansion House for Her Majesty's 80th Birthday
As Groucho Marx once said "Anyone can get old - all you have to do is to live long enough". And there are in my view many other anniversaries this year which are more...
A speech by The Queen at the Royal Hospital Chelsea's Founder's Day Parade, 2006
You are a shining illustration of the history of the British Army and of this great institution.
State Banquet in Singapore, 17 March 2006
The links between Britain and Singapore are as strong as ever, and our future relationship is bright indeed.
Australian Prime Minister's Commonwealth Games luncheon, 15 March 2006
Australia has an enviable record at the Commonwealth Games.
A speech by The Queen at the XVIII Commonwealth Games, Australia, 2006
Tonight we celebrate the value of sport as a means of bringing together people from seventy-one nations and territories.
State Visit, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, 7 March 2006
I have vivid and happy memories of my visit to Brazil with Prince Philip in 1968, especially the warmth and hospitality of the Brazilian people.
Christmas Broadcast 2005
These natural and human tragedies provided the headline news; they also provoked a quite remarkable humanitarian response.
The Queen's speech at the opening of the 2005 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
We in the Commonwealth are our own 'world wide web'.
State banquet in Malta, 23 November 2005
We both retain a deep affection for your country and the outgoing, generous Maltese people who have always offered us the hand of friendship.
State Banquet, President of the People's Republic of China, 8 November 2005
It matters to all of us what kind of country China's people will build.