The lighting of beacons to mark a major royal event is a tradition that goes back centuries. It’s been an integral part of all Jubilee celebrations and, as The Queen marks the 70th anniversary of her reign, millions will watch a very special interpretation of the tradition that pays tribute to her as well as her rule.
The ”Tree of Trees” will be lit up outside Buckingham Palace on June 2 2022, the first full day of the long weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
It will signal the start of a string of beacon lightings around the UK and the Commonwealth with thousands already lined up to illuminate the first evening of the Platinum Jubilee.
The ‘Tree of Trees’ is a 21 metre high sculpture made up of 80 steel branches that hold 350 trees in pots to give an overall impression of a giant tree at the top of the Mall.
The pots each bear The Queen’s cypher while the trees are a nod to the huge wave of tree planting that has gone on around the world as part of the Canopy, the lasting legacy of the Jubilee celebrations.
This very special beacon is also a tribute to the ongoing work on the environment which has been so important to The Queen’s family during her reign and which has become one of the main issues of her rule. That concern for the planet is expressed in the use of reclaimed materials to make the pots.
Designer, Thomas Heatherwick, said it was ”an honour” to make the Tree of Trees which will be illuminated after a busy day of celebrations that will start with Trooping the Colour.
The Platinum Jubilee weekend takes place from June 2 until June 5 2022.
