Here is a rundown of what will happen as the nation pays tribute to the Queen’s 70 years as sovereign during the Platinum Jubilee weekend, and where to watch them on television.
– Thursday June 2
10am – The Queen’s Birthday Parade – Trooping the Colour – begins. Coverage is on BBC One, presented by Huw Edwards, Kirsty Young and JJ Chalmers.
10.30am – Members of the royal family leave Buckingham Palace in carriages for Horse Guards Parade, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also gather to watch the ceremony.
Troops march on The Mall during an early morning rehearsal (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
The military spectacle will be followed by a balcony appearance by the Queen, it is hoped, plus key royals including the Cambridge children, to watch a special flypast.
9.25pm – Members of the royal family arrive for the lighting of the principal beacon – a 21-metre Tree of Trees sculpture at the Palace.
The Queen will be at Windsor and the Duke of Cambridge in London for the dual ceremony. Kirsty Young introduces coverage from 8pm on BBC One, with Jermaine Jenas at Buckingham Palace, Gethin Jones in Wales, Carol Kirkwood in Scotland, and Holly Hamilton in Northern Ireland.
More than 3,500 beacons are being lit across the UK and the Commonwealth.
– Friday June 3
From 9.15am on BBC One, Sophie Raworth meets many of the key people taking part in a special service of thanksgiving, while from the BBC’s Platinum Jubilee Studio at St James’ Park, Kirsty Young is joined by special guests.
11am – The royal family begin to arrive for a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.
A life-sized knitted Queen and corgi in the village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire (Peter Byrne/PA)
11.30am – The service begins, broadcast on BBC One with commentary from David Dimbleby inside St Paul’s.
12.25pm – Members of the royal family attend a Guildhall reception hosted by the Lord Mayor.
– Saturday June 4
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s daughter Lilibet celebrates her first birthday.
Senior royals tour the UK, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting Cardiff Castle to meet stars ahead of a jubilee concert, the Princess Royal taking part in an animal-handling session at Edinburgh Zoo and the Earl and Countess of Wessex travelling to Northern Ireland.
4.30pm – The Epsom Derby takes place. Avid racegoer the Queen is no longer planning to attend, although members of the royal family are expected to be there. Ed Chamberlin presents racing coverage on ITV from 12.40pm.
A guard of honour, made of up to 40 of the Queen’s past and present jockeys, is due to line the course.
The Queen at the Epsom Derby in 2019 (Steve Parsons/PA)
7.40pm – Royals arrive at the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace concert. Coverage begins on BBC One from 7.30pm with Kirsty Young in St James’s Park, and Roman Kemp backstage.
8pm-10.30pm – The open-air show in front of the palace, features stars including Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross.
– Sunday June 5
Street parties and Big Jubilee Lunches are staged across the country.
Fairlie Drive in Rainhill ahead of the celebrations (Peter Byrne/PA)
Coverage begins on BBC One from 1pm with commentary from Clare Balding, while Kirsty Young, AJ Odudu, Anita Rani, Anton Du Beke, Sophie Morgan and Owain Wyn Evans report on street parties across the UK.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall join a flagship feast at The Oval cricket ground in south London, while Edward and Sophie meet people creating the “Long Table” down on The Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle.
2.30pm-5pm – The Jubilee Pageant takes place in central London, with a 3km carnival procession featuring a cast of thousands including puppets, celebrities and tributes to the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.
It will move from Horse Guards, along Whitehall to Admiralty Arch, and down The Mall to the Palace.
(PA Graphics)
The finale will feature Ed Sheeran performing and singing the national anthem with close to 200 national treasures in front of the Queen’s official residence.
It is hoped the Queen will make a balcony appearance as the festivities come to a close.
At 8pm on BBC Two, Kirsty Young looks back at the weekend of celebrations.
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