Four-day bank holiday weekend for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee confirmed

The country will be treated to a four-day bank holiday weekend to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Buckingham Palace has confirmed today.

Queen Elizabeth II, ninety-five, will be hosting four-days worth of celebrations to mark her seventieth year on the throne in June 2022, including a special celebration involving 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians.

The Queen will also enjoy The Derby at Epsom Downs with other members of the Royal Family and a live concert at Buckingham Palace involving ‘some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars.’

Julian Calder / Wikimedia

The Palace confirmed the extra days off will ‘provide an opportunity for communities and people to come together and celebrate the historic milestone.’

The May Bank Holiday – which usually falls at the end of the month – will be moved to Thursday June 2nd, while an extra Bank Holiday will be added on Friday June 3rd 2022, making it a four-day weekend.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “An extended bank holiday, from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June, will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom to come together to celebrate the historic milestone. 

“The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s seventy years of service.”

On the Thursday of next year’s events, Trooping the Colour is expected to be staged in full for the first time since the pandemic. The following day, a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral and the third day of the weekend will see the Queen be joined by members of the royal family at the Epsom Downs Derby.

It is the first time any British monarch has reached this historic milestone.