(LONDON) — The U.K. is throwing a once-in-a-generation celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The 96-year-old queen is the first British monarch in history to reach a Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years on the throne.
Queen Elizabeth ascended to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, following the death of her father, King George VI.
Starting Thursday, the Platinum Jubilee celebration will include everything from the traditional Trooping the Color birthday parade for the queen to a star-studded concert led by Diana Ross to thousands of street parties across the country.
Here is how the news is developing Fridayday. All times Eastern. Check back for updates:
Jun 04, 2:01 pm
Diana Ross headlines concert for Queen Elizabeth II
Music royalty is taking the stage Saturday night at Buckingham Palace to honor Queen Elizabeth II.
A who’s who of music and pop culture – including Elton John, Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Beckham, Rod Stewart and Queen + Adam Lambert – are scheduled to perform at the concert, headlined by Diana Ross.
Elizabeth will not be in attendance at the concert, dubbed the Platinum Party At the Palace. The 96-year-old queen, who is dealing with mobility issues, attended Thursday’s Trooping the Color but has since bowed out of other jubilee events.
In her absence, the heirs to the throne, Prince Charles and his son Prince William will attend and are scheduled to make remarks at the concert.
Crowds have lined The Mall outside Buckingham Palace throughout the day in anticipation of the concert, which will be projected onto the palace as it happens and viewable on screens set up across the U.K.
Among the more than 20,000 people watching the concert from the stands will be members of the public who received tickets as well as members of the military, health care workers and volunteers from various charities.
The concert’s main stage is set up around the Victoria Memorial outside the gates of Buckingham Palace.
Jun 04, 11:26 am
British celebrate Queen Elizabeth II with street parties across the UK
People in the U.K. are taking to the streets to celebrate the queen’s Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne.
Thousands of street parties are being held over the four-day holiday weekend.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall took to Twitter to thank the public for their celebrations. “We have been touched to see so many people lining the streets,” they wrote.
We have been touched to see so many people lining the streets for Her Majesty’s #PlatinumJubilee.
Enjoy the rest of your celebrations this weekend! 🎊 pic.twitter.com/Kx1XNIC9G9
— The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) June 4, 2022
People around the world can also join in the celebration by trying recipes beloved by the royal family.
A 7-layer lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle that won the jubilee’s Platinum Pudding Competition is the perfect way to celebrate Elizabeth’s 70 years on the throne.
The pudding, or dessert, was made by amateur baker Jemma Melvin, 31, of Southport, and beat out over 5,000 entries.
If you prefer to celebrate with a tea party fit for a queen, Carolyn Robb, a former chef for the royal family, shared recipes with “Good Morning America” from her book, “Tea at the Palace.”
And if you would like to try scones specifically made for the queen, try this recipe for royal fruit scones made by Mark Flanagan, the personal chef to the queen and the head chef of the royal household.
Jun 04, 10:18 am
Princess Anne fills in for Queen Elizabeth II at horse race
Princess Anne stepped in for her mother, Elizabeth, Saturday at the Epsom Derby, a horse race in Surrey, England.
Anne, the only daughter of the queen and her late husband, Prince Philip, was spotted waving to crowds and speaking with officials at Epsom Downs.
Elizabeth was scheduled to attend the race as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations but Buckingham Palace confirmed Friday she would not attend. The 96-year-old queen, whose love for horses is well known, is expected to watch the race on television at Windsor Castle, according to the palace.
Amazing unseen footage further showcasing Her Majesty’s passion for horses!
An unmissable day of action on @itvracing from 12.40pm as the Platinum Jubilee celebrations continue 👑#PlatinumJubilee | @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/IJ3zQ82zdg
— Great British Racing (@GBRacing) June 4, 2022
Jockeys at this year’s race honored the queen by wearing her official racing silks, according to a tweet from the Epsom Downs Twitter account.
This is unreal. 🤩
4️⃣0️⃣ jockeys of past and present all wearing Her Majesty, The Queen’s silks. #CazooDerby @PJAOfficial #PlatinumJubilee pic.twitter.com/u2KUM45sax
— Epsom Downs Racecourse (@EpsomRacecourse) June 4, 2022
Jun 04, 9:51 am
Harry, Meghan to miss Platinum Jubilee events on Lili’s 1st birthday
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, are not expected to appear at any Platinum Jubilee events Saturday as they mark their daughter’s first birthday.
A spokesperson for the couple said they “are planning to spend Saturday together privately as a family.”
The couple’s daughter, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, turns 1 on Saturday, a birthday she is celebrating in the U.K., as both she and her brother, Archie, 3, traveled with their parents to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
The trip is believed to be Lili’s first visit to the U.K. and the first opportunity for her to meet her namesake, Elizabeth, whose family nickname is Lilibet.
Harry and Meghan have so far made one public appearance at the jubilee, joining royal family members Friday at a National Service of Thanksgiving for the queen at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
The Sussexes have for the past two years lived in California, where Lili was born. She is the first senior royal baby born in the U.S. and the first great-grandchild of the queen to be born outside of the U.K.
Jun 04, 8:52 am
William, Kate bring kids on visit to Cardiff Castle
Prince George and Princess Charlotte on Saturday made their second appearance at Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
George, 8, and Charlotte, 7, joined their parents, Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, at Cardiff Castle, where they met performers and crew who will be taking part in Saturday night’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert at the castle.
George, dressed in a blazer like his dad, and Charlotte, wearing a button-down coat like her mom, were seen waving to the crowds gathered and shaking hands with performers as they toured the concert preparations.
Absent from the visit was George and Charlotte’s younger brother, 4-year-old Louis, who joined them earlier this week at Trooping the Color. Louis made headlines at Trooping the Color for his hilarious facial expressions and his apparently close relationship with the queen.
The pair were seen talking and pointing to things on the balcony of Buckingham Palace as they watched the military flypast.
Jun 04, 1:47 pm
Royals show rainbow of fashion at Platinum Jubilee
Members of the royal family showed up in an array of colorful outfits on Friday to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II at Friday’s National Service of Thanksgiving for her Platinum Jubilee.
Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, stood out in a yellow coat dress by designer Emilia Wickstead while three of the queen’s granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Zara Phillips Tindall, shined in shades of blue, orange and pink, respectively.
The queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, also stood out in a sage green dress and matching hat.
The royal women appeared to have taken a page out of Elizabeth’s style book: The 96-year-old monarch is known for her brightly colored wardrobe.
Another of the queen’s granddaughters, Lady Louise Windsor, chose a more muted cream look for Friday’s service, which was complemented by the off-white looks worn by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Take a look at the royal fashion below.
Jun 03, 11:01 am
Queen Elizabeth II will miss second Platinum Jubilee event
Queen Elizabeth II will be absent from a second Platinum Jubilee event after missing Friday’s National Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The 96-year-old queen, who is marking 70 years on the throne, will not attend the Epsom Derby on Saturday, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The queen is instead expected to watch the horse race on television at Windsor Castle, according to the palace.
Elizabeth attended Thursday’s Trooping the Color and a beacon lighting ceremony later that night, but decided not to attend Friday’s service after experiencing “some discomfort” during previous events.
The palace has previously said the queen suffers from “episodic mobility problems.”
Jun 03, 7:25 am
The royal family head to Guildhall after service at St. Paul’s
The National Service of Thanksgiving has concluded after nearly an hour.
Following the service, the bells at St. Paul’s Cathedral will be rung for a continuous four hours with no breaks in between.
According to a press release, members of the St Paul’s Cathedral Guild of Ringers “will ring ‘Stedman Cinques'” and “will be joined by Great Paul, the largest church bell in the UK,” which weighs in at more than 16 tons.
The Great Paul bell was restored in 2021 and this will be the first time it has been rung for a royal occasion.
Royal family members will now head over to a reception at Guildhall, hosted by Vincent Keaveny, the Lord Mayor of the City of London and the City of London Corporation.
Jun 03, 6:25 am
Prince William and Kate, Prince Charles and Camilla arrive at St. Paul’s
Prince William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have entered St. Paul’s Cathedral to attend the service.
Several minutes after their arrival, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, also made their way into the central London cathedral.
Once inside the cathedral, Charles and Camilla joined William and Kate to form a royal procession before they took their seats for the service.
Other royal family members who already arrived include the queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, and her husband Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence; their children Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, and Zara’s husband Mike Tindall; and Elizabeth’s youngest son Prince Edward and his family.
Prince Andrew’s children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as well as their husbands, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, were also in attendance.
The royal family is attending the National Service of Thanksgiving — which includes Bible readings, prayers and hymns intended to give thanks for the queen’s 70-year reign — without Elizabeth herself. Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that the queen would not attend in person after experiencing “some discomfort” at the Trooping the Color parade earlier in the day.
Jun 03, 6:05 am
Prince Harry and Meghan reunite publicly with royal family
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral, marking the first time the couple has appeared publicly with the royal family in two years.
For the occasion, Meghan wore a white belted coat dress, matching hat and gloves, and Harry wore a tailored black dress jacket featuring his military medals and pinstripe pants. They were greeted by a guard of honor and then the Very Reverend Dr. David Ison on the cathedral’s western steps.
The Sussexes stepped down from their roles as senior working members of the royal family in 2020 and later moved to California, where they live with their two children.
The couple watched the Trooping the Color parade Thursday alongside other royal family members at Buckingham Palace, but did not appear publicly.
Jun 03, 5:45 am
What to watch as royals head to church on day 2 of Platinum Jubilee celebrations
The British royal family and more than 400 invitees — including government and faith leaders, teachers, military members, and COVID-19 frontline workers — are gathering at a National Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne.
The 96-year-old queen will not attend the service after experiencing “some discomfort” at Thursday’s Trooping the Color parade, according to Buckingham Palace.
Other senior royals are expected to attend, including three of the queen’s four children — Princes Charles and Edward and Princess Anne. The queen’s son, Prince Andrew tested positive for COVID-19 and will not attend, a royal source told ABC News.
The service — led by the Very Reverend Dr. David Ison — is being held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, which also hosted services for the queen’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.
The service will include readings from the Bible, prayers and hymns that will “give thanks for the Queen’s reign, faith and lifetime of service,” according to the palace.
The Royal Marines’ band and trumpeters from the Royal Air Force and the Household Cavalry, which also performed at Prince Philip’s funeral, will play before and after the service.
A new song, titled “By Wisdom” and composed for the Platinum Jubilee, will also be performed.
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