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British Royals

Concerns among Jubilee goers about how close they can get to Buckingham Palace for the Platinum celebrations

Crowds are already gathering on the Mall for Trooping the Colour which begins The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in just a few hours time.

However, some spectators have expressed concerns about how close people will be able to get to Buckingham Palace where Her Majesty is set to appear twice on the first day of her Platinum Jubilee weekend.

Stages built for the celebratory weekend as well as the giant beacon, the Tree of Trees, are directly in front of the Palace. As people took their spots early on the morning of June 2 2022, access towards the front of the Palace was hard to come by.

Our reporter, Sydney Zatz, was on the Mall around 5am and said that a large area around the front of the Palace remained inaccessible.

Traditionally, crowds make their way to the Palace gates for major balcony appearances, often stretching back the length of the Mall as hundreds of thousands try to get a glimpse of the Royal Family at special times.

The Queen will first appear on the balcony just after noon on June 2 to take a salute for Trooping the Colour. The salute and the inspection of troops at Horse Guards Parade will be performed on her behalf by the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal.

Around an hour later, Her Majesty will be joined by the working members of the Royal Family as well as the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Earl and Countess of Wessex for the main balcony appearance of the Platinum Jubilee.

Hundreds of thousands are expected in central London for the celebrations while millions are joining festivities around the UK and the Commonwealth.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Editor in Chief at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.