Platinum Jubilee 2022: Plucky Brits vow to celebrate with street parties and miles of bunting

Millions of defiant Britons are determined to enjoy the Queen‘s Platinum Jubilee this weekend despite fears of downpours across swathes of the country and killjoy councils threatening pensioners who hang bunting with £200 fines.

With just one day before the start of the special bank holiday weekend to mark Her Majesty’s astonishing 70 years on the throne, the UK has gone ‘Jubilee-mad’ as people drape their gardens in Union Jack flags and even knit life-sized figures of the beloved monarch.

A record 12million people are gearing up for outdoor parties held in the Queen’s honour, in scenes sure to be reminiscent of the Coronation seven decades ago.

And crowds of royal ‘superfans’ have already been lining The Mall near Buckingham Palace to get the best views for Trooping the Colour on Thursday and a special Pageant celebrating the life of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch on Sunday.

The excitement is so palpable that plucky Britons are shrugging off fears of showers in London and the South East over the weekend, and are instead preparing to throw their parties in their garages if the rain pours. An upbeat Lindsey Brummitt, Programme Director at Eden Project Communities, told MailOnline: ‘While sunshine isn’t guaranteed, we know that a bit of rain won’t dampen British people’s passion for street parties and community get-togethers!’.

And people are ignoring council spoilsports who are threatening OAPs with punitive fines if they dare hang patriotic bunting across their streets, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged local authorities to calm down and approve 11th hour requests for street parties. Just 16,000 applications to close roads for parties have been approved across the country, and unofficial Jubilee street bashes could be broken up by police if they block traffic.

Meanwhile the royal household will be making final preparations for the four-day bonanza. The Queen, who enjoyed a pre-Jubilee break in Balmoral ahead of the weekend, has arrived at Windsor and is expected to delight crowds with an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony – at the start of celebrations after Trooping the Colour on Thursday. It is also expected that she will appear again on the balcony after the Pageant parade finale on Sunday.

The 96-year-old monarch is also hoping to be able attend the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, with her wider family including – it is expected – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and the Duke of York. The Sussexes are now just hours from arriving at Windsor having jetted out of California for the Jubilee, MailOnline revealed today.

However, Prince Andrew is not expected to attend Trooping the Colour after being snubbed for the most important military event of the Jubilee. A furious row is raging about whether he should be ‘forgiven’ for his role in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

As Britain prepares for the Platinum Jubilee weekend:

• Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their children are hours from arriving at Windsor having jetted out of California for the Platinum Jubilee, MailOnline can reveal today; 
• Security experts said Harry and Meghan may hold up inside Frogmore Cottage over the bank holiday and only leave to attend two Platinum Jubilee events because they are being denied VIP 24/7 armed protection from British police;
• The Queen was caught in mid-air drama as a thunderstorm forced her private jet to abort its landing in London and circle over the capital for 15 minutes;
• Princess Eugenie paid a moving personal tribute to her ‘grannie’ the Queen on the eve of the monarch’s historic Platinum Jubilee celebrations;
• A smiling Prince Andrew was spotted horse riding, amid a furious row over whether he should receive ‘forgiveness’ for his part in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

The four-day bank holiday will start off fine and bright for most, with Thursday, when the official programme kicks off with the Trooping the Colour military spectacle in central London, the best day for people across the country to enjoy street parties, barbecues and other outdoor events. However rain is likely to put some plans in danger in western Scotland and Northern Ireland.

A few showers could spread across the south of the UK throughout the day, while some sunshine is expected in other areas.

Saturday looks dry, with temperatures in the low 20s and spells of sunshine for much of the country as an area of high pressure moves in.

However, there is a risk of some heavy showers to areas ‘south of the M4’ in England, Mr Claydon said, threatening the Epsom Derby and later the BBC’s Party at the Palace open-air concert.

Sunday promises to be dry and bright for many of the millions gathering at more than 200,000 special lunches due to be held that day.

There is still a possibility that people might need their umbrellas, with a chance that the warm air edges back into the south east and brings rain to the Jubilee Pageant parade through the streets of London.

‘If you were to look at the northern portion of the UK, it’s a fairly decent long weekend, but the uncertainty and the chance of heavy showers in the south is still up for grabs,’ Mr Claydon said.

The Met Office urged Britons heading outdoors to pack sunglasses and sun cream, as UV levels will be high when the June sun does appear.

‘For the four days there’ll be a lot of dry weather around. Yes, still some showers here and there… but many places will see sunny spells and certainly after a cool start this week it is going to be feeling warmer,’ Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said.

Meanwhile the excitement is spreading, with streets set to be covered in hundreds of miles of bunting as manufacturers revealed a “massive” spike in demand ahead of the Platinum Jubilee.

One company said sales had risen “thirtyfold” in the last month, while others warned they were running out of stock. The Hampshire Flag Company said it had just “a few” decorations left, despite preparing “way in advance” for a surge in orders. Extra bunting that it manufactured to cope with Jubilee demand sold out by February.

“We’ve done about 200 miles of bunting in the last three months,” said marketing manager Rod Sessions.

The firm usually sells “about 50 miles” in the first three or four months of the year, he added.

Tesco, which expected to sell 60,000 rolls of bunting in the week leading up to the Jubilee, was also running low.

“Anyone interested in buying any should check with their local store first,” a spokesman for Britain’s biggest supermarket said. “It’s been extremely popular and we’re coming near the end of our stocks.”

Bunting Warehouse, a Leicestershire manufacturer, said the “incredible” demand was higher than at any point since 2012’s Diamond Jubilee.

“We’ve sold somewhere in the region of 90 to 100km of bunting in the last month,” director Tim Turner said. “It’s twentyfold what we normally do, thirtyfold what we normally do.”

Its most popular options were of the Union Flag and Platinum Jubilee logo, which features a crown on an imperial purple background. “We’ve done in the region of 30km of just the Jubilee design,” Mr Turner said.

Sodden royal superfans down The Mall were chirpy even after they were lashed by downpours overnight.

Waving from their tents after their first night of camping yesterday, John Loughrey, 67, who lives in South London , said he first fell in love with the monarchy as a child in the 1960s, and has met the Queen twice, once at Windsor Castle when he gave her a rose for each member of her family.

He added: ‘She goes out of her way to meet people. I said to Her Majesty, ‘we are very proud of you and you are always in our hearts’. She has seen so much history. She has had a long life, always been there for the Commonwealth and done her duty.’

Maria Scott, 51, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, added: ‘The police know us because we always come out at royal events. They have no problems with us doing it.

‘When the rain goes away we normally have lots of people coming by to chat to us. They think it’s wonderful how patriotic we are and it’s wonderful meeting people from so many different countries. I think the Queen is amazing. She has been very strong over the years and through her life. She is the backbone of the country.’

Mary-Jane Willows, 68, a retired charity executive from Cornwall, said she first camped out for the Diamond Jubilee, followed by the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the Queen’s 90th birthday.

‘Several of us met at those events and have stayed friends ever since,’ she said.

She inherited her love of the royal family from her mother, along with an original copy of the Queen’s coronation album.

Mary-Jane said she was camping out this time to thank the Queen for 70 years of service.

‘She has given 70 years of her life to serve us, the country,’ she said. ‘That’s what she said at her coronation and she’s done it every second of every day. She’s never taken a wrong step, and so we’re here to thank her and to celebrate.’

With Mary was her friend Donna Werner, 70, from Connecticut. They met while camping out at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, and have remained friends.

Donna first developed an interest in the royal family after taking a bicycle tour through Britain in her youth.

‘I just fell in love with the country,’ she said.

Her first royal event was the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1986.

‘I was pregnant, I slept on the street for two nights. That was quite an event, she was a beautiful bride.’

Donna added that she would love to see the United States re-join the Commonwealth.

‘We should never have had that tea party,’ she said. ‘I love the history, I love the pomp and circumstance. I just love everything about it.’

However, another camper, Melanie Deal, 59, from North Carolina, said she was interested in the royal family for the ‘celebrity’ and would rather see the United States remain outside of the Commonwealth.

‘It’s strictly just celebrity for me, and to know that the Queen is a constant for you all. It’s not a constant in the United States that we have a government, it fluctuates, here you’ve had the Queen for 70 years. That’s a big deal.’

Her Majesty, 96, returned to her Windsor Castle home with her dogs yesterday after a pre-Jubilee break at Balmoral as she paces herself ahead of the four days of festivities. Her flight back to London was forced to abort a landing when her 13-seater plane was caught in a storm.

Despite thunder, hail and lightening, the spectacular Gold State Coach, pulled by eight Windsor Greys, was seen in The Mall yesterday as members of the Armed Forces took to the streets from 4.30am.

Built in 1762, it is the third oldest coach in the UK and is being taken outside the Royal Mews for the first time since the Golden Jubilee.

Made of giltwood – a thin layer of gold leaf over wood – the coach is 23 feet long and 12 feet tall, and weighs four tons. Because of its weight and suspension, it is only ever used at a walking pace – and it is said to be the most uncomfortable carriage the Queen owns.

The elaborate vehicle features a massive triton figure in gilded walnut wood to represent the spreading of the news of good government above each wheel.

The main body is carved to represent palm trees framing the doors and windows. It features paintings of Roman gods and goddesses representing human skill and endeavour including the arts, sciences, virtue and security.

The front panel includes a figure of Britannia sitting on the banks of the Thames in London, with the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral just visible.

On the roof is a giltwood carving of the British imperial crown being held by three putti, or cherubs, representing England, Scotland and Ireland.

On Sunday archive footage of the 27-year-old monarch waving on her Coronation Day – June 2, 1953 – will be beamed on to the remodelled windows of the carriage using state-of-the-art technology to make it seem as if she is riding inside.

And yesterday it was up to personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force to give onlookers a glimpse of just how spectacular Sunday’s event will be.

Troops carrying flags of Commonwealth nations were seen marching down The Mall, while members of the Household Cavalry were photographed in Parliament Square as they prepared for the huge parade.

The pageant will not only include the military, however. Some 205 vehicles, including 11 Morris Minors, seven Land Rovers, 20 vintage Minis and seven original James Bond vehicles, will take to the road.

Ice cream vans, JCBs, Del-Boy’s Only Fools And Horses three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan III, 15 Sinclair C5s, and seven open-top double-decker buses decorated in images of the decade they represent will also head down The Mall and past the palace.

Set to be watched by up to a billion people across the globe, more than 10,000 people have been involved in staging the £15million event which will process through the streets in four acts, as the finale of the weekend.

Close to 200 national treasures will take to the stage to serenade the Queen by singing the national anthem at the grand finale of the Platinum Jubilee festivities.

Stars including Sir David Jason, Harry Redknapp, Sir Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw, Felicity Kendal, Joe Wicks and Holly Willoughby will join Ed Sheeran in a mass rendition of God Save The Queen outside Buckingham Palace at the end of the pageant on Sunday.

It is hoped the Queen will be able to make the balcony appearance, despite facing mobility issues.

It has emerged that she is no longer planning to attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday – one of her favourite events of the year – in order to pace herself for the busy run of national occasions.

The Royal Marines Band will provide the musical accompaniment, as the crowds of well-wishers gathered in front of the palace and along The Mall are invited to join in the patriotic sing-song.

Some 10,000 people including a cast of 6,000 performers are involved in staging the carnival procession from Horse Guards, along Whitehall to Admiralty Arch, and down The Mall to Buckingham Palace.

Sheeran will also perform his love song Perfect in tribute to the Queen and her beloved late husband the Duke of Edinburgh, with a montage of footage of the couple playing on the screens as he sings.

Up to one billion people across the globe are expected to tune in to watch the parade, with organisers estimating some 100,000 will line the route.

The ambitious £15 million pageant is split into four acts: For Queen and Country with a military parade; The Time of Our Lives progressing through seven decades of culture, music and fashion; Let’s Celebrate telling the story of the Queen’s life in 12 chapters with corgi puppets and carnival creations; and the Happy and Glorious musical spectacle.

Celebrities will travel in decorated open top double decker buses for the decade-by-decade celebrations.

For the 1990s, actor Idris Elba, singer Courtney Love, actress Patsy Kensit, supermodel Erin O’Connor and All Saints singers Natalie and Nicole Appleton will take to the top of one of the vehicles.

Other well-known faces for the eras will include actress siblings Hayley and Juliet Mills, Gloria Hunniford and Sir Cliff on the 1950s bus, Alan Titchmarsh, Basil Brush and Kate Garraway for the 1960s, and Slade’s Noddy Holder and Dynasty actress Stephanie Beacham for the 1970s.

Actor Anthony Head, singer Tony Hadley, children’s presenter Timmy Mallett and sports presenter Gary Lineker will represent the 1980s, Dame Kelly Holmes and Sir Mo Farah will be part of the 2000 crew, and rapper Professor Green and DJ and producer Naughty Boy will join Joe Wicks on the 2010 bus.

Seven celebrated dames – Dame Floella Benjamin, Dame Darcey Bussell, Dame Joan, Dame Lesley ‘Twiggy’ Lawson, Dame Prue, Dame Arlene Foster and Dame Zandra Rhodes – will be driven down The Mall in seven vintage convertible Jaguars.

The dames’ appearances form one of several special segues interspersed throughout the parade.

Characters from seven decades of children’s television, including the four Teletubbies – Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po – the Gruffalo, six Wombles, In The Night Garden’s Iggle Piggle, Wallace & Gromit, Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit and Tiny and Small from The Clangers, and Peppa Pig, George Pig, Daddy Pig and Mummy Pig, will take to a float.

Organisers initially planned for the characters to parade down the route, but arrangements had to be altered due to practical concerns.

Mr Zolkwer, the show’s director, said: ‘We realised that none of them can actually walk. They’re great at hugging and waving but not great at walking 3km.’

One of the Queen’s own Land Rovers will feature in a seven decades of Land Rovers section.

The dark green A444 RYV Land Rover 110 Station V8 Wagon belongs to the monarch and is kept in the Royal Garages at Windsor Castle.

Another – King George VI’s Series 1, which was used at Balmoral until 1966 – was found in a garage many years later by the Prince of Wales and restored with the help of Land Rover.

There will also be the Bronze Green Family Defender, which resides at Gaydon Museum; a 1948 Amsterdam launch car, which is the oldest Land Rover in existence; a vehicle owned by Land Rover founder Spencer Wilks; the final L316 Defender 90 built in 2016; and a new modern blue Defender 90.

Land Rovers were chosen because of their affiliation with the royal family, with the rural-loving Windsors driving a range over the decades, and the Duke of Edinburgh specially designing and commissioning a Land Rover hearse in preparation for his own funeral.

Another segue will focus on JCBs – including one from the year of the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, others manufactured in jubilee years and a new 2022 backhoe powered by hydrogen.

Ten James Bond vehicles used in the 007 movies will also delight the crowds, including the Triumph motorcycle and Land Rover Series III from No Time To Die, an amphibious Lotus Esprit S1 known as Wet Nellie from the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me and the Aston Martin V8 from 1987’s The Living Daylights.

A peloton of 300 cyclists, riding vintage bikes from across the seven decades of her reign, is to travel down The Mall led by Sir Chris Hoy and cycling golden couple Dame Laura and Sir Jason Kenny.

Olympic champions Sir Chris, Dame Laura and Sir Jason will be among six ‘hero cyclists’ who race towards Buckingham Palace ready to complete a 360-degree circuit of the Queen Victoria Memorial on Sunday.

The weekend’s celebrations will begin this Thursday with the Trooping the Colour parade, which has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign for 260 years, and will end with the Royal Family on the Buckingham Palace balcony and a spectacular flypast.

Beacons will also be lit through the UK and Commonwealth, with a special ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

A towering, living sculpture of trees will be lit and projections cast on to the front of Buckingham Palace to highlight the Royal Family’s long history of championing environmental causes.

On Friday, a service of thanksgiving will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral, which the Queen plans to attend.

Arrangements have been tailored for her comfort, however. There will be no ceremonial journey from the palace, while the monarch, who is facing mobility issues, will use a different entrance so she does not have to scale the steep steps. Great Paul, the largest Church bell in the country, will be rung for the service.

It was made in 1882 but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism. This is the first time it will have been rung for a royal occasion since it was restored in 2021.

On Saturday, the Queen intends to attend the Epsom Derby, and in the evening attention will turn again to Buckingham Palace for the Platinum Party at the Palace. Stars of stage, screen and pop and rock will perform in front of a crowd of 22,000 people.

On the final day of celebrations, on Sunday, 60,000 Big Jubilee Lunches will be held across the country and the Commonwealth – ranging from world record attempts for the longest street party to simple back garden barbecues – to encourage community-led events.

Final decisions on the Queen’s appearances across the weekend are not likely to be announced until the day they are due, Buckingham Palace said.

How the nation will celebrate Queen’s historic Platinum Jubilee with four days of joyous celebrations starting TOMORROW with Trooping the Colour before ending with a glorious pageant 

Anticipation is building for the Queen‘s Platinum Jubilee with people across the UK preparing to mark Her Majesty’s 70th year on the throne with a four-day weekend of festivities – starting from tomorrow.

A series of major events has been scheduled, beginning on Thursday with Trooping the Colour and ending on Sunday with a special Pageant celebrating the life of the nation’s longest-reigning monarch. 

Outdoor parties will also take place on Sunday as part of the Big Jubilee Lunch, while there will be a televised concert on the BBC from Buckingham Palace the day before.

Though celebrations have already started in some places, official events will begin tomorrow with a special Trooping the Colour.

More than 1,500 officers and soldiers and 350 horses from the Household Division will stage the display on Horse Guards Parade in London, with the colour trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards.

The Queen is expected to delight crowds with an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony – at the start of celebrations after Trooping the Colour on Thursday. It is also expected that she will appear again on the balcony after the Pageant parade finale on Sunday.

The monarch is also hoping to be able attend the service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, with her wider family including –  it is expected – Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew.

The Queen, 96, is also set to spend time with the Sussexes, who are bringing their children Archie and Lilibet over from the US – and could meet Lili for the first time as she celebrates her first birthday on Saturday.

On Sunday, thousands of people will gather across the country as more than 85,000 Big Jubilee Lunches and street parties are staged in celebration of the Queen’s record-breaking 70 year reign.

Royal Family members will also visit every corner of the UK over the weekend for official engagements – with William and Kate going to Wales; Edward and Sophie travelling to Northern Ireland; and Anne to Scotland. 

Here, MailOnline looks at the programme of events over the four-day bank holiday weekend from Thursday: 

TODAY 

No official celebrations planned, but hundreds of ongoing events are being held across the UK by museums, art galleries and hotels to mark the Jubilee – with a full list of 652 public events before Thursday available here.

The Tower of London’s Superbloom – 20 million seeds planted in the moat to create a spectacular meadow – opens from Wednesday until September and features a family-friendly slide for visitors to shoot down into the attraction. 

THURSDAY 

Trooping the Colour (from 10am, flypast at 1pm)

The official programme for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee begins with the Trooping the Colour military spectacle this Thursday, which is due to begin at around 10am at Buckingham Palace.

More than 1,500 officers and soldiers and 350 horses from the Household Division will stage the display on Horse Guards Parade in London, with the colour trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards.

Some 400 musicians from 10 military bands and corps of drums will march amid pomp and pageantry.

The Royal Family will travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to the parade ground in carriages at about 10.30am, with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal on horseback.

Plans are said to be in place either for the Queen briefly to inspect the troops on the parade ground or from the balcony with the Duke of Kent, or to only appear on the balcony with the royal family for a special flypast afterwards.

If the Queen does delegate her salute duties at Trooping to another family member, it will be the first time she has done so in her 70-year reign.

Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, William and the Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will be on the balcony for the flypast which is due to take place at about 1pm.

The Queen limited the numbers to working royals, meaning the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be there.

But her Cambridge great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and her two youngest grandchildren, the Wessexes’ children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, will be present.

A six-minute display by more than 70 aircraft will include the Red Arrows and the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Platinum Jubilee Beacons (from 9.25pm)

On Thursday evening, more than 3,000 beacons will be set ablaze across the UK and the Commonwealth in tribute to the Queen.

The network of flaming tributes will stretch throughout the country, with beacons at sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hillsborough Castle and the Queen’s estates of Sandringham and Balmoral, and on top of the UK’s four highest peaks.

The first beacons will be lit in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the central American country of Belize.

The principal beacon outside the Palace – a 21-metre tall Tree of Trees sculpture for the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative – will be illuminated by a senior member of the royal family, and images will be projected on to the Palace.

FRIDAY 

Service of Thanksgiving (from 11am)

A traditional service of thanksgiving will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in the City of London from 11am on Friday.

There will be no ceremonial journey to the cathedral and the Queen, if she attends, will use a different entrance to aid her comfort rather than the steep main steps.

Wider members of the family are expected to be present including possibly Harry, Meghan and Andrew, and the service will be followed by a Guildhall reception for members of the royal family.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the service. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, will give the sermon instead.

Justin Welby was diagnosed with mild pneumonia last Thursday and was continuing to work, but after developing symptoms over the weekend he tested for coronavirus.

SATURDAY 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Cardiff Castle to meet performers and crew involved in the special Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert taking place in the castle grounds later that afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced.

During their visit, William and Kate will view rehearsals and meet some of the acts taking part in the celebrations, including Bonnie Tyler and Owain Wynn Evans.

Hosted by Aled Jones and Shan Cothi, the concert at Cardiff Castle will feature live performances from some of Wales’ best-known singers and entertainers, alongside choirs, bands and orchestras.

During the extended bank holiday weekend, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will carry out two engagements in Northern Ireland while the Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Edinburgh. 

Epsom Derby (from 4pm)

The Queen is no longer planning to attend the Epsom Derby during her Platinum Jubilee weekend. 

The 96-year-old monarch is said to want to pace herself during her milestone celebrations, with her daughter the Princess Royal representing her at the racecourse instead, The Sunday Times reported.

The Derby on Saturday June 4 was to be a personal highlight for the Queen during the four days of Jubilee festivities.

The head of state, a passionate horse owner and breeder, was due to be greeted on the course with a special guard of honour including up to 40 of her past and present jockeys.

But the newspaper revealed the monarch is now ‘increasingly unlikely’ to head to Epsom. However the Queen will still have a runner – Just Fine, in the penultimate race of the afternoon.

Lilibet’s birthday 

Saturday is also the first birthday of Harry and Meghan’s daughter Lilibet, amid speculation the youngster could spend the day with her namesake great-grandmother.

The Sussexes are flying over from the US with Lili, who has never met the Queen in person before, and her older brother Archie.

It could be the first time Harry and Meghan have been seen alongside the Windsor clan since Megxit and since they accused an unnamed senior royal of racism during their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview. 

Party At The Palace (from 7.30pm)

In the evening, the BBC’s Party at the Palace – set on three stages in front of Buckingham Palace – will entertain a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions.

The line-up includes Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers, Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Bond composer Hans Zimmer, Ella Eyre, Craig David, Mabel, Elbow and George Ezra.

The show will also feature appearances from stars including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry and Dame Julie Andrews.

Charles and William are preparing to deliver public tributes at the concert to the Queen, who will be watching on television from Windsor.

SUNDAY 

Big Jubilee Lunch

Millions of people are expected to sit down with their neighbours at street parties, picnics and barbecues, with more than 200,000 Big Jubilee Lunches being held across the UK on the Sunday afternoon,

Camilla, patron of the Big Lunch, will join Charles at a flagship feast at The Oval cricket ground in south London, while the Earl and Countess of Wessex will meet people creating the ‘Long Table’ down on The Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle.

The celebration also coincides with this year’s Thank You Day –  originally set up to pay tribute to those who helped people through the pandemic.

Celebrities Ross Kemp, Gareth Southgate, Prue Leith and Ellie Simmonds have urged people to throw the biggest thank you party for the Queen.

The Platinum Pudding, Scotch eggs and fruit platters will feature on a six-metre felt creation by artist Lucy Sparrow which is to be viewed by Charles and Camilla at The Oval. It will be given pride of place in the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace later this year.

Members of the local community, 70 volunteers who have been recognised as Platinum Champions through the Royal Voluntary Service’s Platinum Champions Awards, celebrity ambassadors and various charity representatives will be among the guests at the cricket ground.

The royal couple will also present the Platinum Champions with certificates and pins, before cutting a Big Jubilee Lunch cake.

More than 600 international Big Jubilee Lunches are being planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond – from Canada to Brazil, New Zealand to Japan and South Africa to Switzerland.

Edward and Sophie will join Berkshire residents for their special lunch on the Long Walk, not far from Windsor Castle.

The Long Walk is being reinvented to create ‘the Long Table’ in celebration of the jubilee. This royal pair are also set to meet groups of street performers.

Charles and Camilla will also celebrate with the residents of Albert Square in an EastEnders special. They will be seen attending a Big Lunch in a June 2 episode of the BBC soap.

The Big Lunch is an annual event aimed at celebrating community connections.

Jubilee Pageant (from 2.30pm)

The finale on June 5 is the Jubilee Pageant through the streets of London.

Set to be watched by up to a billion people across the globe, more than 10,000 people have been involved in staging the £15million procession.

Puppet corgis, a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen and the Gold State Coach are just some of the sights set to feature in the 1.8-mile (3km) parade.

Stars including Idris Elba, Sir Cliff Richard, Courtney Love and Slade’s Noddy Holder will take to open-top buses in a through-the-ages tribute to the culture and music of the 70 years of the Queen’s reign.

A peloton of 300 cyclists, riding vintage bikes from across the seven decades of her reign, is to travel down The Mall led by Sir Chris Hoy and cycling golden couple Dame Laura and Sir Jason Kenny.

Olympic champions Sir Chris, Dame Laura and Sir Jason will be among six ‘hero cyclists’ who race towards Buckingham Palace ready to complete a 360-degree circuit of the Queen Victoria Memorial on Sunday.

Some 205 vehicles will appear as part of the parade, including 11 Morris Minors, seven Land Rovers, 20 vintage Minis including one in the shape of an Outspan Orange and seven original James Bond vehicles.

Ice cream vans, JCBs, Del-Boy’s Only Fools And Horses three-wheeled Reliant Regal Supervan III, 15 Sinclair C5s, and seven open-top double-decker buses decorated in images of the decade they represent will also head down The Mall and past the palace.

It is hoped the monarch will make a final appearance on the Palace balcony to round off the weekend to see a musical finale of Ed Sheeran singing the national anthem with a choir made up of nearly 200 celebrities.

The pageant is split into four acts: 

• For Queen and Country with a military parade; 
• The Time of Our Lives progressing through seven decades of culture, music and fashion; 
• Let’s Celebrate telling the story of the Queen’s life in 12 chapters with corgi puppets and carnival creations; and
• Happy and Glorious musical spectacle starring Ed Sheeran and close to 200 celebrities.

One day to go – and we can’t wait to get the party started! Model Red Arrows, a knitted effigy of the Queen… and miles of bunting: How Britons are gearing up for the big Jubilee bash

From hanging Union Jack flags across streets and gardens to knitting life-sized figures of the Queen, Britain has gone Jubilee mad.

While official celebrations won’t start until Thursday, the public’s preparations are already in full swing with Britons up and down the country making quirky tributes to the 96-year-old monarch.

A record 12million people are set to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee at street parties.

Some royal superfans were setting up tents yesterday to get a prime spot on The Mall ahead of tomorrow’s Trooping the Colour. 

In Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, 34 women have knitted a life-sized Queen in a white dress and robe, complete with a knitted life-sized corgi sitting beside her.

Norwich also has a life-sized knitted Queen on display. It was originally made for the 65th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation in 2017 with over 1,000 balls of wool.

The 140-member strong Secret Society of Hertford Crafters has spent more than 15,000 hours on creating knitted installations. 

A particularly impressive piece is a figure of Charles and Camilla alongside William and Kate, and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

A young girl marvelled at another of their creations – a stand of knitted cakes in honour of the British staple of afternoon tea. 

In Birmingham, social media star Lara Mason spent five days creating a 5ft 3in replica of the Queen made out of Victoria sponge cake, using 400 eggs, 20kg of flour and 20kg of butter.

At Bamburgh beach in Northumberland, artist Claire Eason spent four hours painstakingly etching a 65ft postage stamp into the sand.

 Legoland has staged its own miniature pageant, with a display of the Red Arrows flying over Trafalgar Square and a model of Buckingham Palace and the Jubilee Tree of Trees.

Sales of bunting, trifle dishes and royal favourite tipple Dubonnet are soaring in the run-up to the bank holiday. 

At John Lewis, sales of deckchairs have increased by 1,965 per cent and teapots by 317 per cent compared to last week. 

With a special 1am closing time for pubs over the four-day weekend, 120million pints are expected to be consumed.

Dancing on heir! Prince Charles shows off his fancy footwork as he surprises guests at a tea party in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 

The Prince of Wales showed off his dancing skills as he made a surprise appearance at a tea party hosted at Highgrove in honour of the Queen‘s Platinum Jubilee. 

The heir-to-the-throne, 73, showed off his moves during the Prince’s Foundation event which took place yesterday, ahead of the Platinum Jubilee’s celebrations later this week. 

Charles took his dancing partner for a spin on the dancefloor and dazzled with his fancy footwork, before meeting with the attendees and the band. 

After boogying on down the dancefloor, the royal sat down for some tea and chatted with his guests, which included TV star Jools Holland and soul singer Ruby Turner. 

The event, held as a way combat loneliness and isolation within the community, saw men and women from the local area enjoy an afternoon tea of finger sandwiches, scones and a glass or two of Highgrove prosecco, while socialising and enjoying live music.

Guests were unaware the prince would be joining them, and his entrance was met with delighted gasps.

Immediately after arriving, Charles sat down with special guest Elizabeth Powell, from Highnam, who celebrated her 100th birthday on May 6.

He presented her with a bouquet of flowers from his gardens and a handwritten birthday card, the front of which was decorated with a print of one of his own paintings.

Holland and Turner got the room to sing Happy Birthday to the centenarian.

Mrs Powell said afterwards: ‘I’m so surprised by everything, its so beautiful here and Prince Charles was so very nice, bless him.

‘He wished me a happy birthday and asked if I was keeping well and if I live on my own, which I do in a bungalow not far from my son, his wife and my grandchildren.’

She said she was ‘all geared up’ to watch the Jubilee and was looking forward to attending a street party and village fête with her family.

Asked for her secret to a long life, she replied: ‘I like to have a glass of red wine in the evening. And sometimes I have a sherry at lunchtime as well.’

A local Lindy Hop group, Cheltenham Swing Dance, were on hand to get the dancing under way.

After greeting most of the guests, Charles joined dancer Bridget Tibbs for a tango to a rendition of Just Softly As A Morning Sunrise, performed by The Honeymoon Swing, with his entrance to the dancefloor greeted by applause.

Ms Tibbs said: ‘We were talking about dancing and then I said, ‘Would you like to have a little dance’? I thought, you’ve got to ask. He came back a few minutes later and said, ‘Shall we have that dance?’

‘It was wonderful. He was very lovely to dance with, a lovely sense of rhythm, a nice hold. It was a pleasure.

Ms Tibbs, an alpaca farmer, added: ‘He was delightful to talk to and we had a good chat. I was actually talking to him about environmental issues and saying the work that he does is amazing.’

Audrey Webber, 61, who began Highnam’s Goodneighbour Cafe, which started during Covid-19 lockdowns as a support group for those feeling isolated, said: ‘It is so important, what they’re doing here, especially after the lockdown, which has exacerbated people’s feelings of loneliness.

‘Seeing the smiles on people’s faces today is just so lovely.’

Anna Gibbins, 64, from South Cerney, an Age UK volunteer whose husband recently died with dementia, said: ‘Older people tend to feel invisible but they have a part to play in society, and many have hidden talents that we should all want to capitalise on.

‘Events like this help people feel special, loved and connected.’

Every guest at the tea dance was given a gift bag with items donated by friends of the Prince’s Foundation including a Penhaligon’s hand cream, a Halcyon Days tea tidy, a scarf from Johnstons of Elgin.

It also included a David Austen mug or teacup and saucer, a voucher for a David Austen rose, Highgrove berry tea, a Platinum Jubilee keyring and candle, and a mini Bramley hand wash or hand cream.

The first of four tea dances took place on Monday at the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea, the foundation’s exhibition space in west London, where pianist Joe Thompson and a choir featuring pupils from nearby Francis Holland School provided the entertainment.

On Wednesday a large event will be held at Dumfries House in Ayrshire, followed by another at the Castle of Mey in Caithness on Thursday.

The Prince’s Foundation hosts such events every three weeks at its Dumfries House headquarters with funding from the People’s Postcode Lottery.

Guests of the tea dances are identified by partner organisations from across Britain, including Age UK, East Ayrshire Vibrant Communities and Befriending Caithness.

To decorate each of the four venues, thousands of triangles to form bunting were sewn by members of the Dumfries House Sewing Bee, another of the foundation’s initiatives aimed at providing people with a social environment.

Savile Row tailor Patrick Grant, co-presenter of the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, helped put the finishing touches to the bunting in the pavilion of the Ayrshire country house.

How Britain celebrated the Queen’s Coronation Day in 1953: New colourised images bring the nation’s jubilant street parties to life as 20million watched on TV to see Her Majesty crowned at Westminster Abbey

To mark the Queen‘s Coronation in June 1953, there were thousands of street parties across the country – just as there will be this coming Sunday as Britain celebrates Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Britons young and old turned out in their droves to celebrate as the Queen was crowned in an incredible ceremony inside Westminster Abbey that was watched by an estimated 20million people on TV.

Now, heartwarming photos showing the 1953 street parties have been colourised and enhanced to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. 

They show families in Buckinghamshire, North Oxfordshire, and Wimbledon and Edmonton in London. They give a small snapshot into the joy of the occasion.  

The Britons who featured in the photos have recalled their memories of the street parties. 

Jean Flannery, who was aged eight on Coronation Day, shared photos taken in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, that showed her in a paper crown and dress.

Now aged 77, she recalled how her mother had made costumes for her and her cousin for a fancy dress contest, but she was left ‘miffed’ when her relative won instead of her. 

Colin Wills, from Banbury, north Oxfordshire, who was also aged eight, said he was dressed by his mother to look like a ‘Coronation Cracker’ in a costume made from ‘red, white and blue crêpe paper and white ribbon.’ A hilarious group photo shows him with his head and shoulders obscured by his cracker-like costume. 

Ms Flannery said: ‘My mother made the costumes for the fancy dress contest, largely from crêpe paper. My costume was red, white and blue, with a Coronation crown. 

‘My four-year-old sister Carole’s costume was ‘Hip, Hip, Hurray!’ and my 9-year-old cousin Ken was a ‘Royal Herald.’ I felt very miffed that Ken went on to actually win the competition in an outfit made by my mother.’

The photos of her were taken in her family’s back garden, with her cabbages grown by her father and neighbours’ washing as the backdrop. 

She said they ‘shivered’ in their costumed because it was ‘very cold’ for June and also rained. But she added: ‘It was a very special day for us all to remember.’  

As well as her family’s celebrations, there were also town-wide parties to mark the Coronation.  

‘We went to a children’s party in one of the local church halls. There was a celebratory tea for us with sandwiches, jelly and cake,’ Ms Flannery said. 

‘All the children were given souvenir Coronation mugs and plates. Flags and bunting were to be seen everywhere.’

Mr Wills, who is now aged 77, said: ‘Back in 1953, there were no shops where you could buy or hire a costume, so everything had to be handmade. 

‘My Mother in her wisdom decided to dress me up as a Coronation Cracker made with red, white and blue crêpe paper and white ribbon. 

‘A novel idea in keeping with the occasion, but not very practical if you want to see it in front of you, very fragile and has a tendency to tear. 

‘Sadly I didn’t win the competition but did manage to keep my costume intact for this photo. There was a good spread for us kids to get stuck into like Spam sandwiches, fancy cakes and lemonade. 

‘The adults no doubt swilled the food down with Banbury Ale. Such a contrast to a few years before when everything was on ration.’

Whilst rationing – imposed during the Second World War – had not come to a complete end by the time of the Coronation, restrictions on sweets, chocolate, eggs and cream were lifted beforehand, although sugar was still limited. 

Mr Wills recalled how the street party he was involved in had been organised by residents who had moved into their council houses in 1947, just two years after the end of the Second World War. 

The party took place on a concrete driveway that had been built along with four houses for local policemen. 

One of the officers, a Sergeant Howkins, is shown in the images standing next to the home he lived in. 

Mr Wills added: ‘Every building in the land was decked out in the patriotic colors of red, white and blue bunting and Union Jack Flags in anticipation of the big day.’ 

Pamela Smith, 75, from Liverpool, is pictured with her brother and sister sitting at an enormous table during a party on their street. 

She said: ‘The preparations for Coronation Day’s street party had been ongoing for months by our community. 

‘I was five when the Queen’s father died, and I remember that when the radio broadcasted the notification of his death, my initial reaction was strong, ‘the king is dead’. 

‘It was a very somber news broadcast, and I instinctively knew that it was a historic moment. The coloured and enhanced photograph is outstanding, the colours certainly make you feel like time has stood still.’ 

Roi Mandel, Director of Research at MyHeritage.com, said: ‘These colourised photographs offer an extraordinary peek into a great moment in history. 

‘Black and white images don’t quite do justice to Coronation Day as it is remembered by those who were there: bursting with colour. 

‘Every building in the country was decked out in red, white, and blue; the Union Jack flew from every window and rooftop; public spaces were covered in splendid decorations, and the processions were adorned in magnificent costumes. 

‘Using MyHeritage technology to breathe new life into these photos seems to make them more true to the spirit of the day, and to the memories of those who experienced it. 

‘The best part is that anyone can use this technology to instantly bring old family photos to life and celebrate the past in full, vivid colour.’