(2022 promises partying in the palace, pomp, pageantry, plants, pudding, for people and the public, the privileged)
Professor Chris Imafidon, previews the royal preparations and planning for the record-breaking platinum party – celebration the longest reigning monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. As a multi-award winning and bestselling royal biographer and a member of the Historic Royal Palaces, Professor Imafidon gives unique insights. (Acknowledgements: Buckingham Palace)
As far as HM Queen Elizabeth II is concern, it has been seventy glorious years of God-centred leadership. For the accidental monarch, it was always service, sacrifice and substance over style but the facts have been distorted by television programmes such as “the Crown”. Queen Elizabeth’s true impact is being diluted. She is a formidable force for good in the UK, Africa and the commonwealth. And for Head of State of more countries than any other person, Queen Elizabeth was not born to be Queen, or Head of state. Instead, it was her father’s senior brother who was expected to be king. It was not even her father, it was her uncle. The little Princess Lilibet never thought of ruling over the United Kingdom, let alone reigning for seventy years – the LONGEST ever!! [Excerpts from the much anticipated first ever major royal biography authored by Artificial intelligence entitled #QueenElizabeth –An African platinum portrait]
PLANTINUM PLANS
The year 2022 reminds every one of the celebrations and sadness of 1952. It was the worst of times, and the best of times! It was a time that saw the sudden death of a King, and the unexpected coronation of a very young and inexperienced lady. So it was never thought that seventy years later, the same young woman will make history. So it is a thing of ecstatic delight to mobilise the whole commonwealth and in fact the entire English-speaking world to celebrate a lady who has transformed our notion of leadership in crisis and in peace-time. Queen Elizabeth quietly re-defined women empowerment and gender equity through a unique sense of duty, dedication and devotion.
So, there will be year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world as communities come together to celebrate The Queen’s historic reign.
PEOPLE
On 6th February this year Her Majesty the Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth.
To celebrate this unprecedented anniversary, events and initiatives will take place throughout the year, culminating in a four day UK public holiday weekend from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. The holiday will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom, Africa and commonwealth to come together to celebrate the historic milestone.
THE PUBLIC
The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.
In addition, initiatives including the Queen’s green canopy (The Queen’s Green Canopy) and the Platinum pudding competition (Platinum Pudding competition) will create a lasting reminder of The Queen’s Jubilee, while The Queen’s private estates will also join in with special Jubilee themed activities offering more opportunities for members of the public to celebrate the historic milestone.
PLANTING FOR THE PLATINUM
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom, and other countries to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”.
Everyone from institutions to individuals to Scout and Girl-guiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates are encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees during the official planting season between October to March. Tree planting will commence again in October 2022, through to the end of the Jubilee year.
With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.
As well as inviting the planting of new trees, The Queen’s Green Canopy will dedicate a network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identify 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.
PLATINUM PUDDING
To mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee a nationwide baking competition sets out to find a brand new pudding dedicated to The Queen. The Big Jubilee Lunch and Fortnum & Mason are inviting application (via inviting applications) from UK residents aged 8 and over to create the perfect Platinum Pudding recipe.
Five finalists will prepare their pudding for an expert judging panel including Dame Mary Berry, Monica Galetti and Buckingham Palace Head Chef Mark Flanagan. The winning recipe will be made available to the public and the pudding will be enjoyed at Big Jubilee Lunches during the Jubilee weekend, and by generations to come.
The Platinum Pudding Competition
The winning pudding will be an important part of the celebrations marking Her Majesty’s 70 years as Monarch. And the creator of the winning pudding will be invited to be at the centre of the celebrations. Get cooking, and your creation could be a joyful and delicious part of the first ever Platinum Jubilee.
PLATINUM PARADE
Thursday 2nd June will witness the Queen’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour). Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians will come together in the traditional Parade to mark The Queen’s official birthday, usually held on the second Saturday in June.
Beginning at Buckingham Palace, the Parade will move down The Mall to Horse Guard’s Parade, joined by Members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. The Parade will close with the traditional RAF fly-past, watched by The Queen and Members of the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
Tickets for this incredible spectacular are available to the public and applications for the ballot are open until the end of February. Please visit www.ExcellenceinEducation.org.uk from the week commencing 17 January 2022 to apply.
PARTYING LIGHTS
There will be Platinum Jubilee Beacons. The United Kingdom’s long tradition of celebrating Royal Jubilees, Weddings and Coronations with the lighting of beacons will be continued to mark the Platinum Jubilee. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories and Africa.
For the first time, beacons will also be lit in each of the capital cities of the Commonwealth countries to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Principal beacon will be lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
PLATINUM PRAYERS
On Friday 3rd June, prayers will be offered in London. There will be a Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. Further events will be announced in due course. For regular updates follow www.Twitter.com/ChrisImafidon
On Saturday, 4th June 2022, guests will head for the Derby at Epsom Downs. Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
PLATINUM AT THE PALACE
There will be a special Platinum party at the palace: The BBC will stage and broadcast a special live concert from Buckingham Palace that will bring together some of the world’s biggest entertainment stars to celebrate the most significant and joyous moments from The Queen’s seven decade reign. Members of the public will be invited to apply to attend this special event and details of the ballot for UK residents to secure audience tickets will be released in February.
Sunday 5th June
The Big Jubilee Lunch: Every year since the idea began in 2009 The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better, coming together in a spirit of fun and friendship. In 2022 The Big Lunch will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community.
People are invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch can be big or small – street party or picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque. The Big Lunch provides tips and ideas for hosting an event. Over 1400 people have registered to host Big Jubilee Lunches so far, with events being planned across the length and breadth of the country.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant: Artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers will unite to tell the story of The Queen’s 70 year reign in an awe-inspiring festival of creativity. The London based Pageant will combine pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology, drawing on talent from every part of the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth.
Forming an important part of the Platinum Pageant, the ‘River of Hope’ section will comprise of two hundred silk flags which will process down The Mall, appearing like a moving river. Primary and secondary school children are invited to create a picture of their hopes and aspirations for the planet over the next 70 years. A selection of these creations will be transferred on to silk flags, which will be carried by secondary school pupils in the Pageant.
The artwork for the flags will be focused on climate change and incorporate the children’s messages for the future. Teachers from applying schools will be provided with step-by-step guides to creating a beautiful digital artwork with their students, of which 200 will then be selected for the flags. The selected artwork will also be shown up and down the country on screens as part of the Jubilee celebrations.
FOR THE PEOPLE AND PRIVILEDGED
Three special displays marking significant occasions in Her Majesty’s reign – the Accession, the Coronation and Jubilees – will be staged at the official royal residences from July 2022.
At the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, portraits of The Queen taken by photographer Dorothy Wilding between 1953 and 1956 will be on display, alongside items of Her Majesty’s personal jewellery worn for the sittings.
At Windsor Castle, the Coronation Dress and Robe of Estate worn by The Queen for her Coronation at Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 will be on display, while at the Palace of Holyrood house, visitors will see outfits worn by Her Majesty on occasions to celebrate the Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
The PALACES
Celebrations will also take place on The Queen’s private estates, Sandringham and Balmoral, for local residents and visitors to enjoy.
Events free for members of the public to take part in over the Bank Holiday weekend will include ‘Platinum Party at the Palace’ on the big screen in the Royal Parkland at Sandringham – a live screening of the BBC Concert celebrating the most significant and joyous moments from The Queen’s seven-decade reign.
The lighting of the Sandringham beacon will also take place in the Royal Parkland, accompanied by live music from the Norwich Pipe Band and the Hunstanton Band.
The Platinum PARADE
From 12th -15th May the Platinum Jubilee Celebration will see over 500 horses and 1,000 performers create a 90-minute piece of arena theatre that will include actors and artists, musicians, international military displays, dancers and global equestrian displays.
The show takes place in the same arena used by Royal Windsor Horse Show during the day and is the fourth in a series of events at the same venue that have marked significant moments in the life of The Queen. The production will take the audience on a gallop through history from Elizabeth I to the present day.
MORE PLANTING
As the Platinum Jubilee year begins, over 60,000 trees have already been planted in the UK through the project in the two months since the planting season began. Green-fingered communities and cities from Cornwall to Glasgow have come together to make 2022 a truly special year to “plant a tree for the Jubilee” as a celebration of The Queen’s 70 years of service to the nation and the Commonwealth.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is generating the planting of large, celebration trees, new majestic avenues of trees, urban planting, and expansive new forests that will benefit future generations. Every planting is being recorded on a digital Queen’s Green Canopy map which will be presented to Her Majesty at the end of the Jubilee year.
The Queen’s Green Canopy is also working to protect 70 ancient trees and woodlands that are a valuable part of the UK’s heritage and history and has launched a special training programme to teach unemployed young people new skills in tree planting and management, as well as a Young Foresters Award to highlight the value of trees to school children. The Queen’s Green Canopy will continue throughout 2022 and into March 2023.
Professor Chris Imafidon, is chair, ExcellenceinEducation.org.uk, an alliance of inner-city educational charities and institutions which works directly with royals, through his education and empowerment initiatives and charitable programmes for underprivileged across Africa and the commonwealth. He is a multi-Guinness World record holder; internationally renowned adviser to monarchs, governments, presidents and corporate leaders; Mentor to multi-millionaire tech entrepreneurs & many world record holders. Professor Imafidon has authored op-ed editorial for the Britain’s Sunday Times; He is a 5x international best selling author; a Wall Street Journal best-selling author; Mentor to New York Times Bestellers and a Sunday Times Op-ed author. His research and innovation have been recognised internationally, winning multiple awards in many continents across multiple disciplines and his mentees are global leaders in pioneers. [Twitter @ChrisImafidon; Instagram @CoImafidon; Facebook/Linkedln/ClubHouse –Professor Chris Imafidon]
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