In four months’ time, The Queen will reach the 70th anniversary of her reign, meaning the countdown to the Platinum Jubilee is well and truly under way.
The monarchical milestone falls February 6th 2022 but the whole of the coming year is set to be a celebration for a truly historic royal moment. Many events are already in the pipeline and over the coming months, here on Royal Central, we’ll round up the Jubilee news for you every weekend so that you can enjoy every moment of the buildup. And it all begins, of course, with Her Majesty.
Time to get planting!
The Queen planted the first tree of the new season on October 1st 2021 as part of the first stage of the special environmental project planned as a legacy for her reign. People and organisations across the UK are being encouraged to ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’ to form The Queen’s Green Canopy, a testament to her seventy years of service.
Her Majesty was joined by Prince Charles to root a copper beech on the Balmoral Estate as planting season got under way. It lasts until the end of March during which time, organisers of the Canopy hope thousands of people will join the event named the ‘treebilee’ by the Prince of Wales.
Medal Action
We got our first glimpse of a rather special memento of the landmark anniversary this week as designs for the Platinum Jubilee medal were unveiled. The medal will be presented to frontline emergency workers and members of the military who have been in post for five years or longer in 2022 as a token of gratitude from the nation as part of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of The Queen’s reign. It will also be given to all living recipients of the Victoria Cross and George Cross.
However, there was controversy in the week for some when it was confirmed that the medal will also be given to members of the Royal Household, including the Duke of York who is currently facing court proceedings.
Will city status win popular support?
There seems to be a mixed reaction to the planned competition for city status, now open to towns around the UK. Some areas, including Southend on Sea and Newport on the Isle of Wight, have shown huge enthusiasm for the plans, which will see an unspecified number of areas turned into cities to mark the Platinum Jubilee. However, some councils have been lukewarm about the idea when it’s been presented to them. However, it’s still early days. Applications have to be in by December 8th 2021 with the final decisions made in 2022.
Conferring city status on towns is a long established part of Jubilee celebrations. The competition this year has a new element with areas in the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories also able to apply. There is also the opportunity for existing cities to apply for a Lord Mayoralty, or Lord Provostship in Scotland. This is usually given to long standing cities and allows their civic leader to be known as Lord Mayor or Lord Provost.
Royal Central will keep you up to date with all the developments as the countdown to the Platinum Jubilee gets underway. We’ll have another roundup next week.
