People gather of The Mall, in London, on June 1, 2022 as the Union flags flutter in the wind ahead of the Platinum Jubilee's celebrations for Britain's Queen. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne since she was 25. Photo credit: Daniel LEAL / AFP
Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee marks the day she was crowned as queen of England at the Westminster Abbey in 1953.
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations, kicking off on 2 June, will be only the ninth such celebration by a British monarch since King George III in 1809.
Both Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, have had silver, golden and diamond events to mark their 25th, 50th and 60th years as monarchs.
Queen Elizabeth II is the first to celebrate her 70th year on the throne, as she has been head of the royal family since she was 25 years old.
The celebrations are set to start at 11am on 2 June 2022, South Africa Time.
The celebrations usually see thousands of royal fans gather outside Buckingham Palace, and certain areas around Britain even have communal street parties, with plenty of Union Jack flags flying across the nation.
The last Jubilee was in 2012, the same year England hosted the Olympic and Paralympic summer games in London. There was a famous concert held in honour of the Queen, which saw famous faces such as Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Madness and Paul McCartney performing.
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What will also take place is the trooping the Colour, a ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army dating back to 1748. Every year, the Queen travels down The Mall, a road in Westminster, to observe the tradition.
The impressive display of pageantry is a grandiose parade with the Queen’s troops, The Household Division, on Horse Guards.
More than 1,400 officers along with 200 horses, and some 400 musicians partake in the royal procession and ceremony, escorted by the Household Cavalry.
Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele, additional reporting by AFP
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