Dear colleague,
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE
As you are aware, in 2022 we will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, giving thanks to Her Majesty the Queen for 70 years of devoted service to the nation and to the Commonwealth. This will be a unique occasion: the first Platinum Jubilee to be celebrated by our Sovereign.
The Platinum Jubilee will provide opportunities for communities and people to come together in celebration, and I am writing to ask you to encourage all your constituents to participate in this landmark moment. There will be thousands of celebratory events and activities taking place throughout the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and around the world in the months leading up to, and culminating in, a special extended bank holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June 2022. Details of plans for the central weekend have been published on the Royal website, including:
- The Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour) and the lighting of beacons across the UK on Thursday 2 June
- A Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 3 June
- The Platinum Party at the Palace, a live BBC concert on Saturday 4 June
- The Big Jubilee Lunch and Platinum Pageant on Sunday 5 June
The Government is working closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Territorial Offices to ensure that the celebrations are UK-wide, and further details on other Bank Holiday weekend events in particular will be made public in due course.
I know you will want to ensure that this momentous occasion is marked fittingly, and that all your constituents will have equal opportunity to access these historic events. The Platinum Jubilee is one of a number of spectacular events taking place in the UK throughout 2022, together with the Commonwealth Games, the Festival UK* 2022 and Coventry City of Culture. We are determined 2022 will be a year of celebration and renewal, and I would be grateful for your support in highlighting these events to your constituents, together with some of the practical opportunities for them to participate in the Platinum Jubilee:
Street Parties and ‘The Big Jubilee Lunch’.
Residents can organise their own street parties, while the Big Jubilee Lunch encourages communities to come together, celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better and will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community. More information on how to get involved can be found on The Big Lunch website here.
Beacon Lighting
In keeping with the long tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, Weddings and
Coronations, Local Authorities and community groups are being encouraged to light beacons across the UK in the evening of 2 June 2022. More information can be found in the specific Beacons website which can be found here.
The Platinum Jubilee Emblem
The official Platinum Jubilee Emblem is available for use for all activities associated with the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, including community and national events. It is free to download from the Royal website here, where detailed usage guidance can also be found.
The Queen’s Green Canopy
Everyone from individuals to community groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporations are encouraged to plant a tree for the Jubilee from October 2021, when the tree planting season begins, through to the end of the Jubilee year in 2022. More details can be found here.
City Status Competition
The Civic Honours competition launched across the UK on 8 June 2021 to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. These rare awards will grant winning towns and cities with ‘city status’ and ‘Lord Mayor or Provost status’. The closing date for entries is 8 December 2021. More details can be found here.
Broadcast the TV celebrations
Encourage the use of large screens in public places to bring people together to watch TV coverage of the Jubilee. This could include The Platinum Party at the Palace which will take place on the Saturday night. These screenings could be complemented or enhanced by being a part of a wider event such as a local version of the Platinum Pageant. Local pageants can take place right across the bank holiday weekend, or can coincide with the Platinum Pageant itself on Sunday 5 June.
Social Media use
Encourage people to join the Platinum Jubilee story by sharing their events and activities, tributes and creativity using the hashtag #PlatinumJubilee and #HM70 and tagging @DCMS on Twitter or @dcmsgovuk on Instagram and Facebook.
To be kept up to date on all developments related to the Platinum Jubilee, please go to the Platinum Jubilee website my Department has launched, which includes an interactive map for people and organisations to contribute to and search for information on activities taking place near to them. Please encourage your constituents to add their events. The website and map can be found here.
I strongly urge you to work with organisations in your constituency to share the above information, and engage them to make this a Jubilee to remember.
