Extra Bank Holiday to mark Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022

  • Royal
In 2022 the Queen will have been on the throne for 70 years. Credit: PA

The Queen’s 70th anniversary as monarch will be celebrated with a “once-in-a-generation show” over a four-day Bank Holiday weekend, it has been announced.

 She will become the first British monarch to reach the historic milestone of a Platinum Jubilee on February 6, 2022.

 A “blockbuster weekend of celebrations” to mark the occasion will take place in early June 2022 with an extensive programme of events planned to reflect the Queen’s reign and her impact on the UK and world since 1952.

The May Bank Holiday will be moved to Thursday, June 2, and an additional Bank Holiday will be added on Friday, June 3, to create an extra-long weekend.

Prince Philip and the Queen had their coronavirus vaccine jabs in January. Credit: PA

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will be a truly historic moment - and one that deserves a celebration to remember.

“We can all look forward to a special, four-day Jubilee weekend, when we will put on a spectacular, once-in-a-generation show that mixes the best of British ceremonial splendour with cutting edge art and technology.

"It will bring the entire nation and the Commonwealth together in a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s reign.”

A Platinum Jubilee medal will be created and awarded to public service workers, including representatives from the Armed Forces and emergency services.

This tradition started during the reign of Queen Victoria when an official medal was designed to mark her 50th anniversary on the throne.

Celebrations took place across the country to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Credit: PA

Celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 included a river pageant, concert, Service of Thanksgiving and RAF Flypast.

The Duke of Edinburgh was notably absent from a number of events after being admitted to hospital with a bladder infection during the celebrations.

Further details on the programme of events in 2022 and how members of the public can get involved are expected to be released in the months ahead.