The Queen's Platinum Jubilee: What to Expect in 2022

The Queen’s reign over the United Kingdom officially began on June 2, 1952, when she was crowned at Westminster Abbey following the death of her father, King George VI. On February 6, 2017, Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch in history. Now, she’s poised to reach another milestone in 2022—a celebration of her platinum jubilee that will likely make her the longest-reigning British monarch in history by then. The Queen’s platinum jubilee will commemorate her 65th year on the throne.

10 Years of Queen Elizabeth II

In January of 2019, Her Majesty The Queen will have reigned for 10 remarkable years—as long as any other monarch in British history. While there will likely be celebrations across Britain and its commonwealth on her 90th birthday, nothing quite measures up to a Diamond or Platinum jubilee. These jubilees are reserved for only 25 living monarchs (she’ll be number 26), who must celebrate their anniversary once every 20 or 60 years. So what do we know about The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, taking place over three days in May of 2022? Here’s everything you need to know about her big day. 

An exact date has not yet been set, but experts predict that it may fall around late April of 2022. It is also believed that Buckingham Palace will host plenty of official events throughout March and April to commemorate these first ten years under Elizabeth II’s reign. Taking part in many of these formal ceremonies is expected to be Prince Charles (born 1948), along with his wife Camilla Parker Bowles (born 1947). Other royals expected to attend include Prince William (born 1982) and his wife Kate Middleton (born 1982) and grandchildren George Alexander Louis, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Louis Arthur Charles, Helen Adele Louise, James Arthur Philip and Arthur Elphinstone.

Does She Have a Strong Claim?

Whether or not you’re a royalist, Britain’s future monarch is one of its most beloved public figures. In 2013, she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria as having reigned for 63 years, becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch. She also holds titles as Head of State of 16 Commonwealth realms. Her life has spanned and seen major events including World War II and The Beatles phenomenon, and many have questioned whether she will outlive Elizabeth I, who died at age 81 after reigning for more than 64 years—the longest reign in British history by roughly 18 years. While there are no guarantees about how long she may live, if we do see another jubilee celebration in 2037 (her platinum jubilee), it seems likely that we’ll still be talking about her legacy. We can expect lots of pomp and circumstance in 2022, but what else should we look forward to? Here’s what might be in store. ## Article Outline:

1. Will There Be Another Celebration?: It seems like a natural question, especially since we know there was one in 2012. But it actually depends on how you define celebration. Technically speaking, every year on February 6th, people around the world celebrate Elizabeth II’s birthday.

Recent Changes to the Line of Succession

The crown passed from Elizabeth II to her son Charles after her husband, Philip, died in his sleep on 14th April 2018. Charles became King of England and Northern Ireland, Scotland and all other British territories. He is also Supreme Governor of the Church of England. His eldest son William was named Prince of Wales and heir apparent. William is married to Catherine and they have two children; George (born July 2013) and Charlotte (born May 2015). Charles' younger son Andrew was named Duke of York with his older brother already being a prince. On 28th March 2017 their father announced that Princess Beatrice would become princess. Her aunt Eugenie will be her lady-in-waiting just as Beatrice was for Eugenie at her wedding last year.

2017 - A Year in Review

The Duchess of Cornwall is a household name among British royalty watchers. She is Prince Charles’ second wife, and will be queen once Charles takes over as monarch (in addition to his current title of Prince of Wales). Camilla Parker Bowles and Charles have been married since 2005, but she only has about a 30% approval rating among her subjects due largely to her infamous past with Charles’ first wife Diana. Nevertheless, Camilla is likely next in line for Britain’s throne if health issues should force Elizabeth II into retirement before 2022.

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Philip, who is 96 years old, announced that he would step down from his official duties starting in 2017. He will attend public events as he sees fit. However, since Prince Charles has stepped up and taken on a number of his father’s responsibilities, it is expected that Prince Philip will still have some involvement with all official matters pertaining to him. Like Prince Charles, he’ll also continue with his own charity work and play an active role supporting charitable causes that are close to his heart. At any rate, we can expect both Princes to remain very much involved in royal affairs for many years to come.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales

Will he be King?... Nobody knows for sure whether Charles will be king, since there’s no law requiring a monarch to abdicate upon ascending to that position. But when asked by Parliament about his plans for rule, Charles reportedly said, Well, I can’t live forever. At age 69 (he turns 70 in November) and with only one child left at home (his eldest son William is already married with two children), it seems likely that Charles will take on a limited role or focus more heavily on his charitable causes. One question that could hang over Britain and its monarchy during an extended transition period—is Will she still have her own tiara?

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

Although it might seem unlikely, there are even odds that Camilla will become queen consort instead of Princess Anne. It’s more likely that Charles and Anne have a son first, but we’ve already seen how unlikely things can happen with British royalty. However it shakes out, though, Camilla is sure to make for a beautiful queen. She’ll also be 70 by then—it could be too late for her to bear an heir. Either way, we're very excited about having her as part of our family!

William, Duke of Cambridge

Prince William, who will have celebrated his 51st birthday by then, will serve as joint sovereign alongside his wife. The new king and queen are likely to start their reign with a State Opening of Parliament and a formal proclamation; many of their plans for exactly what they want to do on that day—and during their reign—are expected to be set out in a speech by Prince Charles at some point after he is sworn in as king. It will be up to them whether they keep some or all of William’s patronages, among other royal duties. When Elizabeth was crowned on June 2, 1953, she carried out 644 official engagements over her first seven years as monarch; Kate Middleton has already surpassed that tally in just six years since marrying Prince William.

Harry, Duke of Sussex

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle become King and Queen, they’ll have three children—5-year-old Prince George, 3-year-old Princess Charlotte, and 1-year-old Prince Louis. As The Telegraph points out, since 1917 there has never been a British monarch with more than two children who were still alive during their reign. Will history repeat itself? If it does, where do you think Harry and Meghan will live? In Buckingham Palace or one of Kensington Palace’s other residences? Or perhaps they’ll buy a new home? It would be fun to see how our favorite royal family members decorate their space for them to call home for several decades!

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge

It’s been a long time since Great Britain has had a young, legitimate heir. People are now speculating that Princess Charlotte of Cambridge could be named next-in-line to throne. Given that she is only 1, it will be awhile before she can take on such an important role—but as it stands, she is currently second in line. Queen Elizabeth II will be 91 at the time of her next jubilee, meaning that Charlotte could feasibly succeed her mother (should she choose to step down) during her lifetime. It would not be unheard of for a child with such young parents (William and Kate have both turned 31) to inherit their crown—but whether or not that happens remains unknown for now.

Prince George of Cambridge

On April 23, 2017, Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge welcomed their third child, a son named George Alexander Louis. Royal births don’t typically warrant a lot of attention from their subjects but with England kicking off another celebration for an heir to throne—his official title as King will be His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge—there is plenty for people both near and far to do. For example, you can celebrate by picking up some souvenirs bearing his name and be among those commemorating his birth. Or you can simply join in on social media to see what those who are lucky enough to actually meet him think about him. In any case, it’s clear that one thing is certain—Prince George isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Central Weekend 2022: The Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Communities and people across the United Kingdom will be able to come together to commemorate the momentous occasion over a special extended bank holiday weekend.

Her Majesty The Queen became the first British monarch to be honoured with a Platinum Jubilee on February 6th, celebrating 70 years of service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and the Realms.

Events and initiatives will take place throughout the year to commemorate this historic occasion, culminating in a four-day UK bank holiday weekend from Thursday, June 2nd, to Sunday, June 5th.

The four-day commemoration will include public events, community activities, and national moments of reflection on The Queen's 70 years of service. Find out more about events taking place across the UK by visiting the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport's interactive map.

Thursday, June 2nd

Trooping the Colour: The Queen's Birthday Parade will begin at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 2, 2022. The 1st Battalion, Irish Guards, will carry the colour, and more than 1200 officers and troops from the Household Division, along with hundreds of Army musicians and roughly 240 horses, will put on a military pageantry performance on Horse Guards Parade. For nearly 260 years, this annual event has honoured the official birthday of the British Sovereign.

A Royal Gun Salute will be fired during the Queen's birthday parade.

Tickets for seated viewing of Trooping at Horse Guards Parade have now sold out, but visitors may still watch the display as the troops parade to and from Horse Guards Parade as it passes through Buckingham Palace on its way to the parade area.

During the ceremony, big screens will be placed up in St James' Park, and many more members of the public will be able to view the spectacle live on BBC and Sky television, not just in the United Kingdom but also internationally. The Royal Family will appear on the balcony like in previous years when the parade has completed and the Royal Procession has returned to Buckingham Palace.