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Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee: How the UK will celebrate her unprecedented anniversary

Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee promises a busy year with many ways to celebrate the monarch reaching an unprecedented 70 years on the British throne.

Buckingham Palace in January laid out plans for several major events in 2022 to honor the long-reigning queen, who turned 96 on April 21

The elaborate plans, some of which are set to welcome thousands of guests, were publicized weeks after the queen was forced to scale back her family's annual Christmas celebrations due to rising COVID-19 cases. Queen Elizabeth, whose husband Prince Philip died in April at age 99, has also seen her own share of health scares over the past year, including a COVID diagnosis in February, a stay at the hospital in October and several missed events

On Feb. 6, the matriarch officially served as queen for 70 years, the longest a British monarch has ever ruled. The queen's reign began on the same day in 1952, with the death of her father, King George VI. She was formally crowned on June 2, 1953.

Here's how fans of the royal family can tune in and participate in the festivities through the spring and summer: 

More:Queen Elizabeth II gives tribute to Prince Philip in first Christmas speech without him

Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee promises a busy year of many ways to celebrate the British monarch reaching 70 years on the throne.

May 12-15: The Platinum jubilee celebration

A 90-minute arena theater show ncluded more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers, and promised to "take the audience on a gallop through history from Elizabeth I to the present day," the palace said. 

A four-day UK bank holiday weekend in June

Over the course of four days, the U.K. government will celebrate the queen's 70 years of service with public events, community activities and national moments of reflection. 

June 2: Queen Elizabeth's birthday parade

The first of several events held during that holiday weekend: the Trooping the Colour, the annual ceremonial birthday parade for the queen. It is scheduled to be the first full staging of the event since the onset of the pandemic, featuring more than 1,200 officers and soldiers. Tickets will be available to the public.

Also on June 2, more than 1,500 towns, villages and cities throughout the U.K. and its territories will light a beacon to mark the Jubilee. Beacons will also be stationed in capital cities, led by a principal beacon, lit in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace. 

More:Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 96th birthday with her two majestic ponies: See the photo

The royal family with Queen Elizabeth II on the Buckingham Palace balcony at the conclusion of the annual Trooping the Colour parade, June 9, 2018.

June 3: Service of Thanksgiving

A thanksgiving service will be held at St. Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the Queen's reign.

June 4: BBC Platinum Party at the Palace 

There will also be a live concert, billed as the "Platinum Party at the Palace," which the government says will feature some of the "world’s biggest entertainment stars" 

The BBC announced in May that the lineup would include Elton John, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alicia Keys, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Andrew Lloyd Weber and Queen featuring Adam Lambert, among other major music stars. 

U.K. residents are invited to apply for tickets, of which the palace says there are "thousands." Members of the public will also be able to watch a live screening of the concert in the Royal Parkland at the royal Sandringham estate in eastern England, where the royals usually celebrate Christmas

June 5: The Big Jubilee Lunch and Platinum Jubilee Pageant 

Lunch events, dubbed "Big Jubilee Lunches," are set to be held across the country, including flagship events in London and Cornwall. Over 200,000 neighborhood events are anticipated across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

On this same day, the queen's reign will also be told through an "awe-inspiriting festival of creativity," featuring artistic performers, dancers, musicians, military personnel, key workers and volunteers, combining street art, theater, music, circus, costumes and visual technology, the palace said. 

A portion of the pageant, called "The River of Hope," will feature 200 silk flags drawn down The Mall, a road in London between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Primary and secondary school students are invited to submit designs for the flags, focusing on climate change and their hopes for the future. 

More:Queen Elizabeth II caught calling leaders' lack of action on climate change 'irritating'

July: The Royal Collection Trust

Three of the most significant occasions in the queen's reign — the Accession, the Coronation and Jubilees — will be honored with displays staged at the official royal residences, beginning in July. 

Buckingham Palace's Summer Opening of the State Rooms will display 1953 and 1956 portraits of the queen, taken by photographer Dorothy Wilding, along with the jewelry she wore for each. 

Windsor Castle will host the coronation dress and Robe of Estate the queen wore for her 1953 coronation. 

The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, will house outfits the queen wore for her past Jubilee events: silver (25 years), golden (50) and diamond (60). 

Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation on June 2, 1953, in Westminster Abbey in London.

A great British bake-off of sorts, and more lasting initiatives

Good news for fans of "The Great British Baking Show": A contest dubbed "The Platinum Pudding competition" invited bakers ages 8 and older to submit a new pudding recipe dedicated to the queen. (In the U.K., dessert pudding refers to a sweet dish with a starch or dairy base such as bread pudding, plum pudding or tapioca pudding; not always the custard-like dessert Americans are more familiar with.)

A 31-year-old copywriter’s seven-layer lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle beat 5,000 desserts in the competition, the palace announced in May. 

Jemma Melvin said her sunshine bright, sweet and sour concoction topped with whipped cream and crumbled cookies  was inspired by both her grandmothers and the queen.

Five finalists prepared their dishes for a panel of judges that included "Great British Baking Show" judge Mary Berry, BBC's "MasterChef: The Professionals" judge Monica Galetti and Buckingham Palace head chef Mark Flanagan.

Melvin’s trifle defeated four other finalists: a passionfruit and thyme frangipane tart; Queen Elizabeth sponge cake, including a layer of jam made with the monarch’s favorite Dubonnet wine; a rose falooda cake incorporating the flavors of a traditional Indian dessert; and a “four nations” pudding featuring ingredients from around the country.

The winning recipe will be served at the big jubilee lunches during jubilee weekend. 

A Royal family affair: Queen Elizabeth II and her heirs, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George, make Christmas puddings

Another initiative meant to create a lasting legacy: More than 60,000 trees have already been planted in the U.K. as part of the Queen's Green Canopy project, which invites communities to "plant a tree for the jubilee." 

Each tree is recorded on a digital map, which the palace says will be presented to the queen at the end of the jubilee year. The project is slated to continue into March 2023. 

Contributing: The Associated Press

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