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
What is the Platinum Jubilee Pageant route and what time does it start?
A 10,000-strong pageant honouring the monarch is expected to captivate the capital on Sunday 5 June.
The Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which will conclude the four-day festivities, is one of the main official events organised by Buckingham Palace and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Performers from across the UK and the Commonwealth will tell the story of the Queen’s 70-year reign – the longest of any British monarch in history – and the changing face of British society.
Kate Ng has charted the pageant’s route and where you can watch:
What is the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant route?
The major procession will tell the story of the Queen’s 70-year reign
Which platinum jubilee events will the Queen attend?
There is much speculation about which platinum jubilee events the Queen will attend, with Buckingham Palace previously announcing that the Queen’s attendance at the celebrations will not be confirmed “until the day itself”.
The spokesperson explained: “The Queen is looking forward to the weekend and will be taking part in the celebrations but her presence will not be confirmed until much nearer the time or even on the day itself.”
Despite this, the monarch is currently expected to attend the Trooping the Colour ceremony on Thursday 2 June and a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 3 June.
Joanna Whitehead has the details:
What events will the Queen attend on the platinum jubilee weekend?
Episodic mobility issues have blighted the Queen since the autumn
Knitted corgis are appearing on postboxes across the UK
Talented knitters up and down the country have been celebrating the upcoming weekend, creating platinum jubilee-themed accessories for Royal Mail postboxes.
The postal service has shared some designs on Twitter:
How much will the platinum jubilee cost?
While it is unclear exactly how much the long weekend is costing, the government has pledged more than £20 million towards the celebrations.
In his March 2021 Budget, Chancellor Rish Sunak announced that £28 million is being set aside to fund the jubilee events.
Saman Javed has the details:
Queen’s platinum jubilee: How are the celebrations being funded?
The government has spent almost £30 million on the celebration
Pubs to stay open for longer this bank holiday weekend
Those hoping to celebrate our monarch at their local pub this weekend are in for a treat, as establishments across England and Wales have been granted permission to extend their opening hours.
Pubs will be allowed to stay open past the usual 11pm curfew to 1am on Thursday 2 June, Friday 3 June and Saturday 4 June.
In Scotland, only pubs and bars in Glasgow will be permitted to pour drinks later than usual.
Joanna Whitehead reports:
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are due to return to the UK - but where will they stay?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed they will be attending the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations.
While some outlets have speculated that the couple, along with their two childre, Archie and Lilibet, will touch down in England on Wednesday, they are yet to be spotted.
It marks the first time the family has returned to the UK after Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020. They have since settled in California.
But without an official royal residence in the UK, some have been left wondering where the couple will stay during their trip.
Here’s what we know:
Where will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stay during Queen’s Platinum Jubilee?
Sussexes will attend Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations with their two children in June
Queen to light principal jubilee beacon at Windsor Castle
The Queen will lead the lighting of the principal jubilee beacon this Thursday, Buckingham Palace has announced.
The lighting will take place in a special ceremony at Windsor Castle on Thursday evening, the first day of the four-day platinum jubilee bank holiday weekend.
The new engagement, added to the Queen’s jubilee diary, will see the monarch symbolically touch the Commonwealth Globe of Nations, created for the Beacons projects, in the castle Quadrangle.
Laura Hampson has the full report, including who will be lighting the Buckingham Palace beacon, here:
Queen to light principal jubilee beacon at Windsor Castle
The Queen is also expected to attend Trooping the Colour and the Service of Thanksgiving
These are the flypast timings for Thursday
Thursday’s Trooping the Colour ceremony will end with a spectacular flypast that will see Spitfires and Red Arrows gracing the skies above the UK.
No fewer than 70 military aircraft from across the UK Armed Forces will soar from the North Sea over several counties across the country and over Buckingham Palace.
According to Military Airshows, a website that tracks airshows around the UK, the front of the procession will begin to appear over central London between 12.40pm to 1.15pm.
Kate Ng has the details:
When are the RAF flypast timings for the Queen’s platinum jubilee?
Celebrations for the monarch’s historic milestone begin on Thursday 2 June
That’s a wrap of our jubilee coverage today. Join us first thing tomorrow as we start our coverage of the Trooping the Colour parade.
Britons dismayed to find out platinum jubilee has disrupted bin collection
Twitter users have been left disgruntled by changes to bin collection days over the bank holiday weekend.
Part of the uproar is because there is no one-size-fits-all system in the UK for bin collections over the jubilee weekend.
While some local councils have announced their services won’t be affected, others have made collection days later or earlier than the normal schedule.
If you’re unsure how your bins might be affected, Maryam Zakir-Hussain has created this helpful guide:
How Jubilee bank holiday weekend will impact on your bin collections
Some councils will be making alterations to services over the four-day weekend
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