Plans to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend have been unveiled and there's one break from tradition.
In the summer, there will be a four-day bank holiday weekend, from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June.
On 2 June, the Queen's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, will be held and it promises to be a spectacular event, with 1,200 officers taking part, together with Army musicians and horses.
Traditionally, the event takes place on the second Saturday in June, but this year, it will be held on a Thursday.
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For the past two years, Trooping the Colour has been a scaled-down ceremony at Windsor Castle amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Queen watched the event solo in the castle's quadrangle in 2020, but was accompanied by her cousin, the Duke of Kent, last year.
Members of the Queen's extended family traditionally join Her Majesty on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the RAF flypast, as well wishers line the streets of The Mall.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe royals on the balcony at Trooping the Colour 2019
The day after this year's parade, Friday 3 June, will see a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen's reign held at St Paul's Cathedral. And on Saturday 4 June, Buckingham Palace will play host to the BBC's Platinum Party at the Palace, a live concert featuring huge names in entertainment with a ballot for tickets opening in February.
Sunday 5 June is the date of The Big Jubilee Lunch, with more than 200,000 neighbourhood events expected to take place.
MORE: Trooping the Colour explained: the history, the fashion, the photos and the highlights
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen was joined by the Duke of Kent at last year's ceremony in Windsor
The Queen will become the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne on 6 February, and events to mark her incredible milestone will be taking place throughout the year.
The Platinum Jubilee Celebration from 12 to 15 May will see 1000 performers and 500 horses mark significant moments in royal history through a 90-minute performance that will include actors, musicians, and global equestrian displays.
Monday also saw the launch of Fortnum & Mason's Platinum Pudding Competition, which aims to find a dish to dedicate to the Queen's 70 years on the throne. Recipes will be judged by an expert panel including Dame Mary Berry.
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