Jubilee - live: Platinum Party at the Palace begins with surprise sketch of the Queen and Paddington
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their two eldest children arrive at Cardiff Castle
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Your support makes all the difference.The Platinum Party of the Palace has begun with a surprise pre-recorded sketch featuring the Queen and Paddington bear.
Kicking off the performances is Queen + Adam Lambert with a rousing renditon of “We Will Rock You” - with the Queen joining in via teacup.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will miss the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace concert on Saturday evening, as they celebrate their daughter Lilibet’s first birthday “privately” in Windsor.
Other royal family members are attendance of the star-studded performance include the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children, Lady Louise Windsor and Viscount Severn, the Princess Royal, and others will also be there.
Amongst this weekend’s celebrations, the Queen did not attend the Epsom Derby today after also missing the platinum jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday.
Buckingham Palace confirmed that her Majesty watched the major sporting event on television at Windsor Castle, after experiencing “discomfort” following a busy first day of festivities on Thursday.
Queen receives standing ovation at Platinum Jubilee show as the nation salutes her 70 years of service
What’s on the schedule for the platinum jubilee today?
Queen Elizabeth II: What does it mean to be both a human and a national symbol?
What time does the Platinum Jubilee concert start and how can I watch it? 
The longer the Queen lives, the higher the stakes rise on one key question
Who will appear on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour flypast?
The Queen’s “official” birthday parade, Trooping the Colour, is taking place on Thursday 2 June.
The annual event sees soldiers, musicians and horses parade down The Mall in London, before the royal family appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to a Royal Air Forces flypast.
Earlier this month, Buckingham Palace announced that only working members of the royal family would join the monarch on the balcony. This means that the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be present.
Saman Javed has the full list of all the royal family members who are expected to appear:
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 2022: Who will be on the balcony during Trooping the Colour?
This year’s event will take place on Thursday 2 June
Archbishop of Canterbury tests positive for Covid-19
The Archbishop of Canterbury has tested positive for Covid-19, and will therefore miss the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 3 June.
Archbishop Justin Welby was diagnosed with mild pneumonia last week and has continued to carry out work, but developed symptoms for Covid-19 over the weekend.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will preach Friday’s sermon instead.
PA
Queen’s beloved corgi breed surges in popularity nationwide
The Queen’s favourite dog breed, the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, has surged in popularity in the past year, according to new figures from The Kennel Club (TKC).
1,223 corgis were registered in 2021, which is the highest annual figure in nearly three decades.
TKC said the increase in popularity was spurred by the corgi breed’s starring role in the Netflix TV series, The Crown.
Olivia Petter has the details:
Queen’s beloved corgi breed surges in popularity nationwide
Number of corgis registered last year has reached record high
Which platinum jubilee events will Prince Andrew take part in?
There has been much speculation about which events the Duke of York will attend this weekend.
Prince Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019, and was stripped of his honorary military titles and patronages earlier this year.
In February, he paid an undisclosed sum out of court to settle a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre. The duke has continuously denied all claims levied against him.
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Andrew will not appear on the balcony during the Royal Air Forces flypast because the line-up has been limited to working members of the royal family.
Kate Ng has the full details here:
Which platinum jubilee events will Prince Andrew take part in?
The Duke of York rarely makes public appearances
Greene King pubs now giving away pints for free
One of the UK’s biggest pub chains is now offering free pints of its IPA beer to kick off the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
Greene King previously announced that it would sell pints at 6p, which is the same price an average pint cost during the Queen’s 1952 coronation.
It has now changed its offer, choosing to forgo the 6p price tag altogether. For one day only, staff at more than 400 pubs will be pulling pints free of charge for anyone who uses the secret code word “1952” at the bar.
Joanna Whitehead has the update:
This pub chain is giving away free pints today for the platinum jubilee
Greene King are offering the bargain pints to mark the start of the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations
England’s largest church bell will be rung at platinum jubilee service
On Friday 3 June, royal family members will gather at St Paul’s Cathedral for a Service of Thanksgiving in celebration of the Queen’s 70-year reign.
The service will include Bible readings, anthems, prayers and congregational hymns, as well as the ringing of Great Paul – the largest church bell in England.
The bell, housed in the cathedral’s southwest tower, weighs approximately 16.5 tonnes.
The service will mark the first time Great Paul has been rung during a royal event after it was repaired in 2018.
Saman Javed has the full story here:
England’s largest church bell will be rung at platinum jubilee service
All members of the royal family are expected to attend the service
More than 16,000 street parties planned for platinum jubilee weekend
On 5 June, which also marks National Thank You Day, the public is being encouraged to host street parties as part of “The Big Jubilee Lunch”.
Council across the country have received a “huge number” of applications for residents who are keen to host a street party in their area, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
A snap poll of a dozen councils by the LGA showed it has approved more than 1,000 street parties so far.
Extrapolated across the country, the LGA estimates there could be more than 16,000 celebrations taking place.
Saman Javed has the details here:
More than 16,000 street parties planned for platinum jubilee weekend
Most parties are being held on 5 June during the ‘Big Jubilee Lunch’
Who is your favourite member of the royal family?
With just days to go until the Queen’s platinum jubilee, we want to know; do you have a favourite royal and if so, who?
We’ve listed all the main – living and adult – members of the royal family as it is at the moment, from the Queen to all her grandchildren and spouses who are most regularly in the public eye, including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.
We’d like to give our readers the definitive ranking over the weekend, so pick your favourite, or let us know that you don’t have one by voting in our reader poll here:
Who’s your favourite member of the royal family?
Vote to shape The Independent’s reader-determined ranking of your most popular royals
How to throw a jubilee street party
With 16,000 street parties set to take place up and down the country, you may be feeling inspired to throw your own.
Street parties are a historical fixture during times of celebration in the UK, with the first street parties taking place in 1919 after the First World War.
Earlier today, technology minister Chris Philp encouraged local councils to “show a bit of flexibility and pragmatism in support of Her Majesty’s Jubilee” and approve late applications for street parties where possible.
Fancy throwing your own party? Kate Ng has everything you need to know:
How to throw a jubilee street party
The Queen’s platinum jubilee will be marked with thousands of street parties across the country
What are the supermarket opening times over the platinum jubilee weekend?
As Britons gear up to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee in a special four-day bank holiday at the end of this week, it’s worth noting that the festivities may require some extra planning.
This is because some supermarkets will operate reduced hours on bank holidays, so you may need to do your grocery shopping ahead of time.
Kate Ng has the full list of opening times here:
What are supermarket opening times on the platinum jubilee bank holiday?
The weekend to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne will take place from 2 to 5 June
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