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Paris Toolkit The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations
London and the UK will be filled with celebration in 2022
In 2022, Her Majesty the Queen celebrates 70 years of service to the UK, Commonwealth and The Realms. February 6, 2022 marks the official start of the year long celebration.
With the UK opening up and 'learning to live with Covid', 2022 will be a perfect time to visit London and the UK and enjoy a particularly celebratory atmosphere throughout the year.
Many of London's and the UK's most popular attractions have links to the Crown and will be putting on their own special exhibitions to honour such a momentous occasion.
Communities across the country will also be celebrating this unique occasion on special public holidays.
Read on to find details on some of the key dates and events in London and the UK, as well as details and tickets to related Royal attractions.
Jubilee dates Jubilee Initiatives Buckingham Palace Tower of London Kensington Palace Windsor Castle Hampton Court Palace Palaces included with London Pass Highclere Castle
Key dates of Platinum Jubilee 2022
6 February 2022
The official start of the year long Platinum Jubilee Celebration. Events and initiatives will take place throughout the year.
12-15 May 2022
The Platinum Jubilee Celebration
A 90-minute theatre creation including over 1000 performers and 500 horses takes you on a journey from Elizabeth I to the present day. This is staged at Windsor Royal Horse Show Arena.
2-5 June 2022
A four day bank holiday is the highlight of the platinum celebration.
2 June 2022
The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour).
Traditional parade to mark the Queen's official birthday is full of colour, pomp and ceremony. This is an incredible spectacle although tickets will be by ballot only. On this day Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be lit throughout the UK and beyond, totalling over 1500. The main beacon will be lit at Buckingham Palace.
3 June 2022
A special service of thanksgiving will be held at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
4 June 2022
The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday 4 June whilst a Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace is thrown and covered live by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
5 June 2022
The Big Jubilee Lunch will encourage communities across the UK to come together to get to know each other and celebrate the Queen's reign. Expect big and small gatherings and street parties with lots of food, music and fun.
Finally, the Platinum Jubilee pageant in London will bring together artists, dancers, volunteers, military personnel and key workers in a celebration that is sure to remain in the memory. Part of this pageant will be a silk river of hope proceeding down The Mall.
Other initiatives to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee
The Queen's Green Canopy
At the start of 2022, over 60,000 trees have been planted with additional trees being planted throughout the year. At the end of the year a digital map of all the trees planted and protected which represent the Queen's Green Canopy will be given to the Queen.
The Platinum Pudding Competition
UK residents will have the opportunity to create a new pudding to celebrate the jubilee and be officially used as part of the celebrations and for a long time into the future.
Royal Residences
Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse will see special exhibitions celebrating the ascension, the coronation and the jubilees.
Buckingham Palace
For the first time visitor to London, one of the 'must see' events is the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace at 11am.
Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns since 1837. Buckingham Palace is very much a working Palace so for the vast majority of visitors, Changing of the Guard is the only facet of Buckingham Palace they will see.
During the last week in July, all of August and September, when the palace is not being used in its official capacity, visitors can enjoy the State Rooms, which form the heart of the working palace - nineteen rooms, lavishly furnished with the finest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Poussin and Canaletto and some of the finest English and French furniture.
Since 2021, visitors can now also enjoy time in the beautiful Palace Gardens, home to 30 different species of bird and over 350 different wild flowers. You will finish your wonderful day at Buckingham Palace with splendid views of the west front of the Palace and the famous lake.
The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace
A permanent space dedicated to changing exhibitions of items from the Royal Collection, the wide-ranging collection of art and treasures held in trust by The Queen for the Nation. The Queen's Gallery is open to the public throughout the year (see ticket options below).
The Royal Mews
The Royal Mews is the mews (or stables) of the British Royal Family, located in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. These also are open to the public throughout the year (see ticket options below).
Book tickets for the Royal Mews
BUCKINGHAM PALACE TICKETS 2024
Book tickets for Buckingham Palace - only available late July to September
With option to add on Royal Mews
• The State Rooms • The Royal Collection • Paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto • Audio tour included • Famous 42-acre Buckingham Palace Gardens
Tower of London
The Tower of London sits by the River Thames adjacent to Tower Bridge. It is probably one of the few times most visitors will be inside the original city walls of London, now the city's financial district.
At the seaward end of the city walls, the Tower guarded London from invaders coming along the river. Its one of the best preserved and historical castles in England. For the Norman's who brought Castles to England after they conquered England in 1066, this was 'base 1' castle in string of castles spread throughout England.
Being one of the safest places in London it has acted as jail, refuse and fortress. With England's colourful and sometimes gruesome history a lot of history is associated with the Tower.
Today its one of the most popular attractions in London for people of all ages and for many first time visitors comes under the “must see” category.
TOWER OF LONDON TICKETS
Book online to guarantee entry - Tower of London tickets
• Access the Tower and Crown Jewels display • Yeoman Warder "Beefeater" guided tour and talk • Ideal for families • Vouchers can be scanned at attraction - no need for printing
Kensington Palace - including entrance to Princess Diana Exhibition
Just a mile from Buckingham Palace and also in a Royal Park (Kensington Gardens) is Kensington Palace. Kensington Palace was the favourite residence of successive sovereigns until 1760 when Buckingham Palace found favour. Its popularity has greatly increased in recent years because of Princess Diana who lived here.
Following a major renovation project, the palace now unveils many secret stories of past royal figures, painting Kensington Palace as the setting for many noteworthy events and dramas in royal history. Make your way through the spectacular King’s and Queen’s State Apartments, adorned with paintings from the Royal Collection, and stroll through the Kensington Palace Gardens at your leisure.
Designing for a Princess – Princess Diana Exhibition
Enjoy the new fashion display showcasing the style of Princess Diana including the evening dress she wore to the 1988 state dinner in Bangkok. With such a vast expanse of beautiful outfits to display, the dresses will be rotated with other iconic outfits worn by the Princess. You’ll also get to see one of Diana’s favourite designers, David Sassoon’s exquisite selection of fashion sketches
KENSINGTON PALACE TICKETS
Visit the former home of Queen Victoria and Princess Diana, official London home of HRH William and HRH Kate
• Admission to Kensington Palace and Gardens • King's and Queen's State Apartments • Paintings from the Royal Collection • Sunken garden • The King’s Drawing Room, the Cupola Room and Queen Caroline’s Closet • Changing exhibitions
Windsor Castle
West of London, very close to London's main airport, Heathrow, is Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle is the first Norman Castle down the River Thames from the Tower of London.
Despite its Castle like features it has very much evolved into a palace inside. Windsor Castle is where the Queen would call home. It is also more recently famous as the host of Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in St George's Chapel. It is very easy to get to from central London with a choice of rail and bus links.
You can easily take up a day in Windsor, some people take more, there is so much to see and do. Windsor Great Park, a remnant of the old royal hunting grounds stretches for miles in front of the Castle.
You can visit Windsor Castle daily, most people taking a couple of hours to view the castle.
WINDSOR CASTLE TICKETS - FROM VISIT BRITAIN
Book with confidence through Visit Britain - The Official Shop of the British Tourist Board
• Luxurious State Apartments • St. George's Chapel, burial place of Henry VIII • Queen Mary's ornate Dolls' House • Changing of the Guard ceremony in summer
Hampton Court Palace
Like Windsor Castle, Hampton Court sits besides the River Thames west of the capital.
Famous for its connections with Henry VIII, Hampton Court is a true palace built to impress with extensive grounds.
Again, there is much to see and do at Hampton Court and you could easily spend a day here.
There are direct frequent trains from central London or you can even go by boat from Westminster, (though the trip takes several hours).
HAMPTON COURT PALACE, MAZE & GARDENS TICKETS
Book in advance to save money on tickets
• Visit the palace & gardens • UK's oldest surviving hedge maze • Great Hall • Haunted Gallery • Tudor Kitchens • World-renowned beautiful gardens • Concessions & family saver tickets available
Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and Windsor Castle - all included with London Pass
The London Pass can save you £££'s on walk-up entry prices for over 80 of London's top attractions.
Included in the pass are the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace. In addition other top attractions such as London Zoo, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's and View from the Shard are included.
LONDON PASS BY GO CITY
The more you visit, the more you save
• Access 90+ London attractions including Tower of London, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, Chessington World of Adventures, London Bridge Experience, Thames River Cruise, Tower Bridge, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, The View from Shard, Windsor Castle, Big Bus, and many more...
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 day passes available.
Highclere Castle, also known as Downton Abbey now booking for 2022
Although not an official residence of the Royal Family, we've included it here as Highclere Castle is one of the most popular day trips from London. It is also the tour with the least availability. Dates are released months in advance and are sold out very quickly. It is not a case of picking the best date for you, rather you picking the first available date you find. The main reason for this is that Highclere Castle is also a home and as such has a much more limited opening season than other attractions.
The tour operators providing this tour are offering excellent cancellation policies that mean you can book ahead with confidence during the pandemic. Do make sure you read these terms and conditions on the booking page.
Highclere Castle tours can combine with sightseeing trips in the Cotswolds, including seeing other locations used in the Downton Abbey TV series and film. There are four main tours to choose from. Click the link to see our detailed page, available dates and discover full details of the tours on offer.
DISCOUNT LONDON
Book discounted London sightseeing and attraction tickets
• Hop-on hop-off buses • Madame Tussauds • London Eye • London Dungeon • Tower of London • Tower Bridge • The Shard • Westminster Abbey • Historic Royal Palaces and more...
POPULAR LONDON ATTRACTIONS - ADVANCE PURCHASE AND/OR FAST TRACK TICKETS
| London Eye | Amazing panoramic flight on the world's highest observation wheel. » Fast track tickets available. |
| The Shard | Tallest building in Western Europe with viewing of London from the top. » Fast track tickets available. |
| St Paul's Cathedral | Cathedral of the Diocese of London, venue for royal weddings. » Pre-book to guarantee entry. |
| Westminster Abbey | Along with St Paul's, England's main religious building.» Pre-book to guarantee entry. |
| Tower of London | Home of the Crown Jewels and a rich thousand year history. » Fast track tickets available. |
| Madame Tussauds | See wax statues of the most famous people in the world. » Fast track tickets available. |
| London Dungeon | The creepiest attraction in town, the London Dungeon. » Fast track tickets available. |
| Hampton Court Palace | Henry VIII Medieval Palace set in vast grounds. » Pre-book to save money. |
| The London Zoo | World class zoo in the centre of London. » Flexi tickets available. |
