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Downing Street has condemned union bosses’ plans for strikes during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations at two key London Underground stations — including one of the closest tubes to Buckingham Palace.
MPs have criticised RMT Union for staging the most disrespectful stunt yet, as 85 members plan to walk out of Euston and Green Park stations on Friday, June 3, with the strike affecting the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines.
Green Park and Euston — where staff are threatening to walk out — are vital stations for anyone planning on attending the celebrations of Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.
Staff will be on strike for 24 hours with the intention of shutting the stations.
Union bosses warned it will cause ‘significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee’, as they have chosen to strike at Green Park, which sits half a mile from Buckingham Palace.
TfL insisted this afternoon that travellers will experience ‘no disruptions’ and said it expects to keep the two stations open due to their strategic importance for jubilee celebrations.
If they do close, it could cause disruption for people wanting to reach multiple destinations along the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Sir Robert Neill, Tory MP for Bromley and Chislehurst told MailOnline the planned action shows little respect for Her Majesty’s reign.
Which lines are going to be affected by the strike?
RMT Union members plan to walk out of Euston and Green Park stations on Friday, June 3.
The strike will affect the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines.
Green Park and Euston are vital stations for anyone planning on attending the celebrations of Her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.
Green Park is one of the closest tube stations to the Palace, and Euston is home to the UK’s busiest inter-city railway.
TfL insisted this afternoon that travellers will experience ‘no disruptions’ and said it expects to keep the two stations open due to their strategic importance for jubilee celebrations.
If they do close, it could cause disruption for people wanting to reach multiple destinations along the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria lines.
Due to a separate RMT strike about work-life balance, service on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines will also be disrupted on the Night Tube that weekend.
‘The idea of trying to disrupt a holiday and day of national celebration, shows not only how little respect the hard left wing leaders of the RMT have for Her Majesty’s lifetime of service, but also how completely out of touch they are with ordinary hard working members of the public, who want to will see this for the cynical and selfish stunt that it is,’ he said.
Downing Street slammed the strikes, with the Prime Minister’s official spokesman telling reporters: ‘I don’t think we want to see any disruption to London’s transport system at such a moment when people are trying to come together to honour this Jubilee year.’
A spokesman for Labour leader Keir Starmer said: ‘We never want to see industrial action that’s going to disrupt the public, particularly on an occasion like the Platinum Jubilee weekend where obviously we want the focus to be on celebrating the great service of Her Majesty to this country.’
Sir Keir said he hopes the issues can be resolved, adding: ‘We want to make sure that there isn’t disruption for the public.
‘It’s for the parties themselves to get together and discuss the issues but we would hope that they could resolve the issues before the Jubilee weekend.’
Brits reacting to the news have described the plan as ‘unacceptable’ and ‘selfish’, with one describing those walking out as ‘a spiteful public hating lot’.
A government source said: ‘The Platinum Jubilee is a unique event in British history, a cause for national celebration.
‘Does the RMT really want to spoil the plans of thousands of people, young and old, wanting to wish the Queen well on this most special of occasions?
‘Can they not show a little generosity of spirit and save the pursuit of this dispute for another day?’
And Tory MP for Harrow, Bob Blackman, told MailOnline: ‘It’s outrageous that the unions are going on strike at key stations during the Jubilee weekend.
‘We have no comment, yet again, from the Mayor on the unions aiming to paralyse London when we should be celebrating and encouraging Londoners to use public transport on a joyous occasion.’
Underground staff part of the RMT Union are planning to walk out of Euston and Green Park stations on Friday, June 3, with the strike affecting the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines. Yesterday, the Queen made a surprise visit to open the Elizabeth line, which opens May 24
Both Green Park and Euston are expecting to see thousands of travellers throughout the Jubilee weekend, as people move around the city, and arrive from further afield. Green Park is one of the closest tube stations to the Palace, and Euston is home to the UK’s busiest inter-city railway
Union bosses have been branded ‘disgusting’ for staging the most disrespectful stunt yet after announcing plans to strike during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Pictured, Her Majesty at the opening of the Elizabeth line yesterday
Stephen Hammond, Tory MP for Wimbledon said it is ‘utterly shameless of the RMT to strike on the weekend of national celebration’.
What a contrast commitment to duty from our Queen and the dereliction of duty from the leaders of the RMT,’ he said.
‘It is time for London’s Mayor Khan to stop being so spineless and get the Tube open for Jubilee weekend.
‘This is happening on his watch, it’s his problem and his responsibility. Khan needs to stop posturing and start acting so Londoners can celebrate our Queen’s incredible service to out country.’
Felicity Buchan, Tory MP for Kensington called the strike ‘unacceptable’ and said it would ‘hugely’ disrupt the lives of Londoners.
What is happening for the Platinum Jubilee on Friday, June 3?
The Queen and the Royal Family are seen at St Paul’s Cathedral during the service of Thanksgiving to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2022
A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral.
During the service, the church’s bell, named Great Paul, will be rung. It was made in 1882 but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism.
It was restored in 2021 and has been rung on eight occasions since then. However, this is the first royal occasion for which it has been rung.
The service will start at 11.30am and Great Paul will be rung between 10.50am and 10.55am, followed by a peal of bells. It is understood that the service is closed to the public.
Throughout the weekend, big screens will be placed in The Mall and St James’s Park in London for Trooping the Colour on Thursday, the Platinum Party at the Palace on Saturday and for the Pageant on Sunday.
‘Sadiq Khan needs to get a grip,’ she said.
‘He was elected on a promise ‘to make sure there are zero days of strikes’ on the Tube. He is failing Londoners by not standing up to the Unions.’
Green Park is one of the closest stations to Buckingham Palace, with a Friday strike impacting those wanting to get a glimpse of the royal residence.
However St James’s Park, also half a mile from the palace, will be unaffected. It hosts the District and Circle lines.
Euston is also home to the UK’s busiest inter-city railway, where thousands of people will arrive ahead of the Saturday and Sunday celebrations.
Both stations are expecting to see thousands of travellers throughout the Jubilee weekend, as people move around the city, and arrive from further afield.
TfL said this afternoon that it expects to keep Green Park and Euston stations open during the strike.
‘Despite the planned strike action, we expect to keep both Green Park and Euston stations open and ensure there is no disruption to our customers – something we know is especially important during the Platinum Jubilee celebrations,’ a spokesperson said.
‘The remaining 270 London Underground stations will be unaffected and open as usual.’
The Overground and National Rail services at Euston will not be impacted, as they are run by National Rail staff, not London Underground workers.
Service on the Central, Jubilee and Victoria lines will also be disrupted on the Night Tube that weekend, due to a dispute between RMT and TfL about work-life balance and driver rotas.
Disruption on the Central and Victoria line began when Night Tube service resumed in November last year. And strikes on the Jubilee line Night Tube will begin on Saturday, May 21 – when Night Tube re-opens – and run each Friday and Saturday until Sunday, June 19.
Union bosses say the planned action over the Jubilee weekend is due to a ‘toxic working environment’ and allegations of bullying.
Brits criticising the strike plan have questioned whether it is ‘politically motivated’ and suggested ‘driverless trains’.
Others said they have chosen a time that will be ‘most hurtful’ to the British public.
‘Completely unacceptable and selfish to be having a London tube strike on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend,’ one person said.
‘Just horrible … holding the country to ransom when we should be together celebrating. Vile,’ said another.
RMT general secretary Michael Lynch said: ‘Staff at Euston and Green Park tube have suffered years of sustained bullying and intimidation by a manager who has created a toxic working environment.
Commuters queuing for tube trains at Green Park Tube Station in July 2015
Pictured, a sign at Paddington Station in London during a RMT union strike in March this year
Some of those supporting the underground staff strike describe themselves as abolitionists and communist anarachists
‘The union has tried in vain to reason with management, but they now will not let local representatives be part of a review into dismissals at the stations, instigated by the manager in question.
‘Our strike on June 3 will cause significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee.
‘However, if tube bosses do the right thing, and deal appropriately with the manager in question, we can find a just resolution to this dispute.’
The strike has garnered support from some online, with one person declaring: ‘workers of the world unite’.
A self-described abolitionist added: ‘A tube strike on Jubilee weekend? That’s gonna cause so much disruption and p*** off the bosses so badly. Legends.’
A trade unionist said that it is the ‘best news I’ve seen in ages’.
A TfL spokesperson said in response to bullying allegations: ‘We hold our people to high standards and ensure everyone is treated fairly.
‘We’re aware of this dispute and are carrying out an urgent review in a bid to resolve it.
‘We have had a number of meetings with the RMT and are urging them not to take strike action and to continue working with us to find a resolution.’
The Queen was shown how to top up an Oyster card yesterday during a surprise visit to Paddington Station to officially open the Elizabeth line with Prince Edward – days after cancelling her appearance at the State Opening of Parliament due to ‘mobility issues’.
The 96-year-old, who now rarely carries out public engagements outside of her royal residences and was using a walking cane, picked up a limited edition Elizabeth line Oyster card. It had already been topped up with five pounds for the Queen, who famously rarely carries cash.
A Crossrail worker showed how the ticket machine worked before the monarch asked where passengers could travel to.
Dressed in sunshine yellow, the Queen arrived at Paddington at 11.32am, stepping carefully from the transparent lift while holding a walking stick and smiling warmly.
Unveiling a plaque stating that she had ‘officially opened’ the Elizabeth line, the monarch spent 10 minutes in the station before leaving in a lift, escorted by her son Edward. The earl then returned to the concourse ahead of a return journey on the railway from Paddington to Tottenham Court Road.
Her attendance was not publicly announced in advance, with the head of state facing ongoing mobility problems, but organisers were told there was a possibility she might be able to attend.
The Queen, who now rarely carries out public engagements outside of her royal residences and was carrying a walking cane, picked up a limited edition Elizabeth Line Oyster card before staff showed her how to top it up
The Queen does not usually carry cash, although she makes an exception on Sundays so she can donate during church services
This week The Queen reassured tens of millions of Britons and her subjects around the world about her health during an enthusiastic and energetic appearance at the first of her national Platinum Jubilee celebrations – but royal aides also admitted she now has ‘good and less good days’.
Her Majesty lifted the nation’s spirits and received cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd at the spectacular finale to the Royal Windsor Horse Show on Sunday night – her second visit there in the past three days.
The 96-year-old looked full of joy last night as she watched an all-star lineup including Dame Helen Mirren, Tom Cruise and Katherine Jenkins perform at the event alongside equestrian, military and musical talent from all over the world.
It also bodes well for the official weekend of jubilee events in June, when it is anticipated she will attend a Service of Thanksgiving for her remarkable 70-year reign and make her traditional appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony at Trooping the Colour.
It is unlikely she will attend many other events, however, as palace aides admit she has ‘good and less good days’.
The Queen has been forced to cancel a string of engagements in recent months and last week missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time ever due to age or infirmity, symbolically asking her son, the Prince of Wales, and grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, to stand in for.
But royal aides insist that despite what they describe as ‘episodic’ mobility issues, the monarch is in good spirits and very much in charge behind the scenes, undertaking several meetings each week in addition to her familiar red boxes of official papers.
Her appearance, following her first visit to the horse show on Friday to watch some of her beloved animals compete, will give succour to her subjects.
Making her second public appearance in three days, the 96-year-old was greeted with a ovation at the event, which had been running since Thursday night, and was all smiles as she made her way to her seat in the Royal Box.
Organisers of the event at Windsor Castle, entitled A Gallop Through History, had always hoped the Queen would attend as their guest of honour. But given her recent mobility issues, nothing was confirmed until the 11th hour.
There were wild cheers as the Queen departs following the A Gallop Through History Platinum Jubilee celebration at the Royal Windsor Horse Show last night
The Queen’s walk down the red carpet with a stick will allay some fears about her health and will have given reassurance to millions watching
It came after the Queen dramatically pulled out of the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in 59 years because of her increasing mobility issues. Prince Charles read her speech for the first time, accompanied by Prince William, who had never attended before.
And it has been revealed that Beatrice and Edo, as well as Princess Eugenie, 32, and her husband Jack Brooskbank, along with several other royals, won’t make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations.
The balcony appearance, which is often seen as the centrepiece of major royal occasions, including Trooping the Colour and weddings, usually sees the Queen’s extended family gather to watch a flypast and is a rare chance for fans to see the entire extended family together.
Following his ejection from public life, after settling a civil court case in America over allegations of sexual abuse against Virginia Giuffre (which he vehemently denies), it was inconceivable that Beatrice and Eugenie’s father Prince Andrew would be given a spot.
Despite earlier claims that the Queen offered Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a space on the platform, they too have been left off the list, although they quickly announced today that they will be in London for the celebrations with their two children.
However, in paring the list down to just 16 people to avoid potential diplomatic pitfalls, the Queen has been forced to omit a number of well-liked family members including her much-loved grandchildren and their families.
Her cousins, including Prince Michael of Kent, and their families, with whom the Queen enjoys a warm relationship are also out in the cold, with a total of at least 34 royals absent from the balcony.
The final balcony lineup will boast the Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children; the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children; the Princess Royal and Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence; the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester; the Duke of Kent, and Princess Alexandra.
The Queen’s other adult grandchildren, Peter Philips and Zara Tindall have been excluded with their families, even though their mother Princess Anne and stepfather Sir Timothy Laurence will join the Queen.
In a formal statement about the decision, Buckingham Palace said: ‘After careful consideration, The Queen has decided this year’s traditional Trooping the Colour balcony appearance on Thursday 2nd June will be limited to Her Majesty and those Members of the Royal Family who are currently undertaking official public duties on behalf of The Queen.’
There are exceptions, however. Prince Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who is not a working royal, and the Queen’s granchildren Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn, and her great-grandchildren George, Charlotte and Louis are included.
The Palace spokesman added: ‘The Cambridge and Wessex children are also expected to appear as is Sir Tim Laurence, who the Queen is happy to attend as a frequent attendee and support for the Princess Royal on official engagements.’
The announcement follows reports that her Majesty herself may not appear on the balcony, due to the 96-year-old’s limited mobility.
It is believed that aides are working on a ‘plan B’, with an insider saying: ‘It could still happen but it is by no means guaranteed that we will see the Queen on the balcony during the Jubilee.’
While recent balcony appearances have been more focused on senior members of the Firm, normally, there are no restrictions on which family members are present for Trooping of the Colour, the Queen’s official birthday.
The militant ‘Lynch mob’ unionists threatening to hold the Queen to ransom: RMT bosses calling for Tube walkout include gun-toting Tory hater, Putin apologist and leader on £124,000 salary who said ‘all I want from life is a bit of socialism’
- RMT is notorious for being Britain’s most militant union, led by fat cat radicals
- Leader Mick Lynch today boasted strike would cause ‘significant disruption’
- His fellow union leaders are notorious for a string of inflammatory comments
The militant RMT union barons threatening to sabotage the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend with yet another Tube strike include a Putin apologist, a Tory hater who vowed to ‘throw a party’ if Boris Johnson died, and a Marxist who previously echoed Kremlin propaganda by describing Ukraine as being ‘held to ransom by neo-Nazis’.
Completing the ‘Lynch mob’ is union leader Mick Lynch, who once sighed ‘All I want from life is a bit of socialism’ – while collecting a salary and benefits package worth £163,468.
MPs have criticised Britain’s most militant union for staging their most disrespectful stunt yet, as members plan to walk out of Euston and Green Park stations on Friday, June 3, with the strike affecting the Piccadilly, Jubilee and Victoria lines.
It will cause ‘significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee’, warned union bosses, after choosing to disrupt Green Park, which sits half a mile from Buckingham Palace.
General Secretary Mick Lynch – who once sighed ‘All I want from life is a bit of socialism’ – collects a salary and benefits package worth £163,468
RMT Assistant General Secretary Steve Hedley poses in a Soviet-style soldier’s hat with an assault rifle
Lynch announced the plan to disrupt London Underground services in a statement released today, boasting that the action would cause ‘significant disruption to people wishing to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee’.
In March, he organised the worst Tube strikes in five years – with two days of walkouts against changes to jobs, pensions and working conditions.
Lynch was once considered a centrist compared with former general secretary Bob Crow — but, after taking charge, he said: ‘The unions have got to make a militant stand – and use the strike weapon wherever it’s appropriate’.
He left school at 16 and trained as an electrician but was blacklisted due to union activity, so joined the railways.
Another high-ranking member of the RMT union is its general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, a Putin apologist and senior member of the Communist Party backing pro-Russian separatists.
Dempsey shared glowing praise for Luhansk rebel Aleksey Mozgovoy in an obituary following his death in 2015, and even visited the Donbas region of Ukraine seven years ago, where he posed for a picture with the pro-Russian separatist commander.
Writing in far-right Russia Insider, Dempsey lavished praise on the ‘charismatic’ Mozgovoy, described the violent Luhansk separatists as communist ‘volunteers’, and brandished the West’s efforts to broker peace in the region as a ‘US-orchestrated coup’.
Labour MP Chris Bryant urged Dempsey to apologise after his links with Mozgovoy emerged earlier this year.
RMT official Eddie Dempsey visiting Alexander Mozgovoy, a nationalist, misogynistic paramilitary leader in the pro-Russian militias during the war in eastern Ukraine
Dempsey addresses members of the United Voices of the World trade union outside the High Court in February
Dempsey, who pockets a total package worth £108,549 from the RMT, was also among the signatories of a Stop the War coalition statement last week that criticised NATO’s ‘disdain for Russian concerns’.
The statement caused a huge split within the Labour Party after 11 of its MPs backed it, before withdrawing their support after an intervention from Sir Keir Starmer.
Left-wing parliamentarians who backed the statement were reportedly threatened with losing the whip, with one Labour frontbencher slamming the Stop the War Coalition as ‘Putin apologists’, the Telegraph reported.
Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine include its president, Alex Gordon, a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin’s propaganda by branding the country ‘a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis’.
Following Moscow’s invasion of Crimea, the militant former train driver protested outside Ukraine’s embassy in London in 2015 while wearing the black and orange Ribbon of St George, a symbol of Russian military valour.
Gordon presides over the RMT’s ruling national executive committee. But he is also a major figure in the Communist Party of Britain, sitting on both its executive and political committees.
Another RMT fat cat who has been criticised for his comments over Ukraine include its president, Alex Gordon (middle – black jacket), a longstanding Marxist who has previously echoed the Kremlin’s propaganda by branding the country ‘a failed state held to ransom by neo-Nazis’
The 55-year-old is also chairman of the Marx Memorial Library in North London, where Communist dictator Vladimir Lenin worked during his exile from Russia.
Steve Hedley, the RMT’s long-time senior assistant general secretary, has also been criticised for his stance on Russia, with an image circulating in previous years which showed him brandishing an automatic rifle and wearing a Soviet-style fur hat.
Hedley attracted nationwide criticism during the early stages of the pandemic after saying he would ‘throw a party’ if Boris Johnson died from coronavirus.
The union said it would investigate him and he was back at work by the end of the year.
Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, today told MailOnline the strike threats suggested certain RMT leaders had ‘more respect’ for Putin than they did the Queen.
The RMT has previously said: ‘The union has a clear policy of opposing the war in Ukraine and has called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.
‘Both Eddie Dempsey and Steve Hedley have supported that position.’
Four days of spectacular official events have been planned to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee over the special extra bank holiday…
Thursday June 2, 2022: Trooping the Colour
More than 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 procession will move down The Mall to Horse Guards’ Parade, joined by members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages.
Trooping the Colour will close with the traditional RAF fly-past, watched by the Queen and the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
The balcony appearance is limited to working members of her family, with the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex omitted from the royal line up.
Joining the Queen on the balcony for Trooping will be the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra, and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Also set to appear for the historic occasion will be Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis and the Wessexes’ children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn.
More than 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
The head of state has made an exception for Anne’s husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim, who is not a working royal, and her two youngest grandchildren Lady Louise and James, and her Cambridge great-grandchildren George, Charlotte and Louis.
The Palace spokesman added: ‘In addition the Cambridge and Wessex children are also expected to appear as is Sir Tim Laurence, who the Queen is happy to attend as a frequent attendee and support for the Princess Royal on official engagements.’
The symbolic move is likely to be interpreted as a snub to Harry and Meghan, who quit the monarchy for a new life in the US two years ago, and to Andrew, who was cast out of the institution over his civil sexual assault case (allegations which he vehemently denies).
Trooping the Colour will close with the traditional RAF fly-past, watched by the Queen and the Royal Family from the Buckingham Palace balcony. Above: The Queen and the Royal family on the balcony in 2017
Andrew stepped down from public duties in 2019 and just weeks ago paid millions out of court to settle a civil sexual assault case.
He was stripped of his honorary military titles and forced to no longer use his HRH style, but he played a key role in March when he escorted his mother to the Duke of Edinburgh’s thanksgiving service.
Harry and Meghan quit as senior working royals amid the Megxit saga, but have said they are returning to the UK – together with their two children – to attend the Jubilee celebrations.
Despite not standing on the balcony alongside Her Majesty, Prince Andrew and the Sussexes could still make an appearance during other parts of the weekend.
A Palace source said: ‘Other family members will be invited to events. We’ve always made that clear and they are likely to be public events.’
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.
Beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories.
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 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. Above: A beacon being lit in Edinburgh during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012
Friday June 3, 2022: Service of Thanksgiving
A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service will include readings from the Bible, along with prayers and hymns that will be sung by both the choir and congregation.
During the service, the church’s bell, named Great Paul, will be rung. It was made in 1882 but fell silent in the 1970s due to a broken mechanism.
It was restored in 2021 and has been rung on eight occasions since then. However, this is the first royal occasion for which it has been rung.
The service will start at 11.30am and Great Paul will be rung between 10.50am and 10.55am, followed by a peal of bells. After the service, a reception will be held at the Guildhall.
A Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service will include readings from the Bible, along with prayers and hymns that will be sung by both the choir and congregation. Above: The Queen and the Royal Family are seen at St Paul’s Cathedral during the service of Thanksgiving to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2022
Saturday June 4, 2022: The Derby at Epsom Downs, followed by Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace
The Derby at Epsom Downs
Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs.
The Queen is an avid racegoer and horse owner and has attended nearly all of the previous derbies during her 70 years on the throne.
Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by Members of the Royal Family, will attend the Derby at Epsom Downs. Above: Her Majesty at the Derby in 2017
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 due course.
Sunday June 5, 2022: The Big Jubilee Lunch
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.
A concept image of marching bands who will make up part of the Jubilee celebration. The marching bands, a giant dragon puppet and circus acts will form part of a spectacular pageant
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant
A pageant featuring over 5,000 people from across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth will take place against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and the surrounding streets.
It will combine street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume and celebrate the service of Her Majesty’s reign, as well as honouring the collective service of people and communities across the country.
The bells of Westminster Abbey will chime to mark the start of the pageant, as they did on the day of the Queen’s Coronation.
As they do so, the Mounted Band of the Queen’s Household Cavalry will lead the Gold State Coach along a crowd-thronged route back to Buckingham Palace.
Made of giltwood, a thin layer of gold leaf over wood, the Queen’s coach is seven metres long, weighs four tonnes and is 12 feet tall, and because of its weight and suspension is only ever used at a walking pace.
Drawn by eight Windsor Grey horses, the grand carriage, led by the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry, will begin the spectacular carnival Pageant finale on Sunday June 5 as the procession makes it way along the near two-mile route.
More than 10,000 people will be involved, including the military and more than 6,000 volunteers, performers, key workers and 2,500 members of the public.
Well-known celebrities from music, film, sport and the arts will also take part in the Pageant, whilst the Armed Forces will take a key role.
Overall, around 1,800 servicemen and women will be there to represent the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force.
Adrian Evans, Pageant Master said: ‘Everywhere you look, in the golden sculptures and painted panels, in the uniforms of the postillions, grooms, footmen, attendants and mounted guards, there is rich tradition and history.
‘It will be a unique spectacle that we are privileged to be opening the Pageant with it will set the tone for the very many spectacular sights to come.’
The coach, the third oldest surviving coach in the UK, only ever carries the sovereign, although it has previously taken part in pageants with no passengers.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10828563/London-tube-strikes-announced-Queens-Platinum-Jubilee-weekend-staff-threaten-walk-out.html
