Things to do in London for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Arushi Sakhuja 

With all travel restrictions finally being lifted, London is back as one of the top tourist destinations for the summer. A quintessential British summer means strolling in the lush green gardens around London town and feeling like royalty every step of the way.

But the summer of 2022 is a little more special. A surge of royal affairs is taking over the city of London to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II — referred to as the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

On 6 February 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-serving British monarch ever serving 70 loyal, tireless years on the throne. The hustle-bustle has filled the air with a royal appeal as London takes a pause to celebrate this special occasion. From culinary treats to exhibitions; celebrating her majesty’s historic reign is a run-up of events in the city. While the Platinum Jubilee Central Weekend will take place from 2nd to 5th June 2022 — in line with when her actual coronation took place on 2 June 1953 — here is what else the city has to offer.

A multi-sensory high tea and exclusive cocktail at the Grand Scotland Yard Hotel 

 

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In Celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, The Great Scotland Yard Hotel has joined hands with iconic perfumery Floris London for a multi-sensory high tea. Taking place at The Parlour, the multi-sensory Jubilee Afternoon Tea has been inspired by the notes of the historical British perfumiers luxury fragrance ‘Platinum 22 Eau De Parfum’. The inspiration is reflected through an assortment of delicious cakes and patisserie that incorporate keynotes from the fragrance.

 

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The bar at Great Scotland Yard, Elephants, has also created ‘Platinum 22’, an elegant cocktail inspired by the notes of Platinum 22. The cocktail is created with Earl Grey tea-infused gin, strawberry, tonka bean syrup, lavender and violet, topped with Champagne.

Spencer Tiara to be exhibited as part of Sotheby’s Jubilee 

Lady Diana’s Spencer tiara will now be exhibited in London for the first time since the 1960s as a highlight of the UK’s largest tiara exhibition in two decades, as a part of Sotheby’s Jubilee this summer. What makes it unique is its famous garland style design that has a central heart-shaped motif set with diamonds surrounded by continuous running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers mounted in silver and gold.

Fortnum and Mason musical enamel box 

In celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Fortnum and Mason have launched a series of hampers and a limited-edition Platinum Jubilee homeware collection. But what’s worth noting is the expertly crafted musical enamel box. It is adorned with intricately hand-painted platinum Flowers of the Realm which surround images of four of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s royal residences; Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral Castle. Her Majesty’s cypher is centred in platinum and, once opened, the box softly plays Canon in D, composed by German Baroque composer, Johann Pachelbel.

Victoria and Albert Museum Platinum Jubilee emblem design display

The Victoria and Albert Museum is displaying the award-winning design of The V&A Platinum Jubilee Emblem Competition, along with the other nine shortlisted emblem design entries, at the V&A in London throughout June.

Tipples at Radio Rooftop London 

 

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Radio Rooftop London will be serving a new cocktail menu inspired by the Queen’s reign. The Platinum Jubilee Cocktail menu launched on April, 21 as a special nod to the Queen’s Birthday and new cocktails will be released on a weekly basis till June, 5. This week’s Jubilee cocktail release is Elizabeth. Made with rooibos tea and London dry gin, to symbolise the close friendship that the Queen had with Nelson Mandela, whom she hosted at Buckingham Palace in May 2000. In fact, their relationship was so close that Mandela famously called the Queen by her first name, which gives the cocktail its name.

Mayfair’s free summer fête

Mayfair is hosting a street party featuring a communal ‘feast’ served on a 200-foot table with space to seat 300. Decorated with wildflowers, topiary trees, festoon lighting, and lots and lots of one-off Jubilee streaming, it will stretch from Grosvenor Square to Oxford Street all along North Audley Street.

Get a Sneak Peak of Buckingham Palace’s State Rooms

Portraits of the Queen by photographer Dorothy Wilding will be on display in central Buckingham Palace rooms this summer, along with the personal jewellery Her Royal Highness wore to sit for the shots.

BBC’s Platinum party 

The BBC and Buckingham Palace will have a glittering group of performers from the worlds of music and dance set to perform at the Platinum Party At The Palace concert which takes place on Saturday June 4 at Buckingham Palace. Some of the names include Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Craig David, Mabel among others.

Watch the Platinum Jubilee Pageant

The Pageant will have all the excitement and spectacle of an international parade and carnival Combining street arts, theatre, music, circus, carnival and costume to celebrate the occasion. Ed Sheeran is also expected to make an appearance at the carnival. The Pageant will tell the story of the Queen’s reign, as well as fly 200 silk flags entitled the ‘River of Hope’, created by hundreds of school children to reflect how they would like the planet to look in 70 years. The Gold State Coach will take a lead role during the Platinum Jubilee Celebration weekend, the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry will lead The Gold State Coach, drawn – as it always has been – by eight Windsor Grey horses.

To know about such events visit: https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/events/  

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