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This year, Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest serving monarch Britain has ever had, marking 70 years since she acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952 at the age of 25. That 70th anniversary is known as the Platinum Jubilee, and will be celebrated throughout the year in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth with a variety of events, culminating with the focal point of the Platinum Jubilee Weekend.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> This will take the form of an extended Bank Holiday weekend, from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June<\/p>\n Celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflections on The Queen\u2019s 70 years of service. Among the events will be the Queen\u2019s Birthday Parade, the lighting of Platinum Jubilee Beacons, the Service of Thanksgiving, the Derby at Epsom Downs, the Platinum Party at the Palace, the Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.<\/p>\n Members of the public will be invited to apply to attend the Party at the Palace via a ballot for UK residents. Elsewhere, people will be encouraged to arrange street parties<\/a><\/strong> to join the Big Jubilee Lunch. Sandringham and Balmoral will be open for visitors across the long weekend. Plus, anyone who has kept the original vintage clothes of their fashion heyday is invited to apply to dress up and walk in the pageant on the Sunday, with a particular call-out to those who lived through each of the seven decades that the Queen has been on the throne, to take part in a parade down The Mall to the Palace.<\/p>\n This will take place at St Paul\u2019s Cathedral on Friday 3 June, with further details to be announced.<\/p>\n According to a list<\/a><\/strong> which was published on her 90th birthday in 2016<\/a><\/strong>, two of the Queen\u2019s favourite hymns are \u2018Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven\u2019 and \u2018The Lord is My Shepherd<\/a><\/strong>\u2018, and there\u2019s a good chance they will make an appearance here. There are also likely to be\u00a0 hymns associated with other significant moments in her reign, among them \u2018I vow to thee my country<\/strong>,\u2019<\/a> which was heard at the Queen\u2019s Diamond Jubilee service in 2012<\/a><\/strong>, and \u2018Rejoice in the Lord Always\u2019 \u2013 sung at her coronation in 1953<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 Classical music choices might include William Walton<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s Orb and Sceptre March, Handel\u2019s\u00a0 Zadok the Priest<\/a><\/strong> and Britten<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s Te Deum in C Major, all of which were played at the Diamond Jubilee Service. And odds are on that the current Master of the Queen\u2019s Music, Judith Weir<\/strong><\/a>, will write a new piece.<\/p>\nWhen is the Platinum Jubilee Weekend?<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What will happen over the Platinum Jubilee Weekend?<\/b><\/h2>\n
How can the public join in?<\/b><\/h2>\n
When and where is the Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What music is likely to be played at the Queen\u2019s Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving?<\/strong><\/h2>\n