The Queen's Platinum Jubilee
In celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall have participated in a number of Jubilee related events, projects and activities, both in the UK and overseas. Their Royal Highnesses also joined celebrations over the Platinum Jubilee weekend.
From touring across Canada, to planting The Queen’s Green Canopy, to judging the Platinum Pudding Competition, Their Royal Highnesses have been joined by thousands of people to honour The Queen’s 70 years of dedicated service to the country and Commonwealth.
The Queen’s Green Canopy
The Prince of Wales is the Patron of The Queen’s Green Canopy, a tree planting initiative that was set up to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee and which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’.
The Platinum Jubilee Cookbook
In celebration of the Platinum Jubilee, 70 British Embassies and High Commissions came together from around the world to provide recipes – many of which have been served during Royal visits - that are proudly British, inspired by local influences from the Embassy's host country, or a fusion of the two. These recipes were collated into The Platinum Jubilee Cookbook with the foreword of the book provided by Their Royal Highnesses.
The Platinum Pudding
In May, The Duchess of Cornwall had the pleasure of announcing the winner of the Platinum Pudding competition. The judging panel, headed up by Dame Mary Berry and Monica Galetti, decided that Jemma Melvin’s Lemon Swiss Roll and Amaretti Trifle would be the official pudding for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, beating over 5,000 other desserts to the top.
An EastEnders Jubilee Special
On Thursday 2nd June, The Prince and The Duchess are set to appear on long-running British soap opera EastEnders, as the residents of Albert Square host their very own Big Lunch.
The Big Jubilee Lunch
Since 2013, The Duchess of Cornwall has been Patron of the Big Lunch, an annual event that aims to bring communities together over a shared meal. This year, The Big Jubilee Lunch forms part of the official Jubilee community celebrations with Their Royal Highnesses attending a lunch at the Oval Cricket Ground in South London.
Jubilee Overseas Tours
Overseas, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall celebrated the Platinum Queen in Ireland in March and Canada in May. During both visits, Their Royal Highnesses met with local leaders, community groups and charities to learn more about the fantastic work they are doing to support their local communities.
70 Years since The Queen's Accession
This year's Accession Day - on 6th February 2022 - marked 70 years since The Queen acceeded to the throne on the death of her father King George VI. Her Majesty has gone on to reign longer than any other British Monarch in history, and to become a beloved figure around the world.
The Prince of Wales shared a message on the 70th anniversary of his mother's Accession.
The Queen’s Green Canopy
The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a tree planting initiative that was set up to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee which invites people from across the United Kingdom to ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’. As Patron of The Queen’s Green Canopy, The Prince of Wales - and The Duchess of Cornwall - has participated in a number of tree planting ceremonies across the UK.
Everyone from individuals to community groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates were encouraged to play their part in enhancing our environment by planting trees during the official planting season between October to March. With The Prince’s passion for sustainability, it is fitting that the while the planting of tree’s recognises The Queen’s legacy, the real benefit of the scheme will be experienced by future generations.
In May, The Prince of Wales unveiled a nationwide network of 70 Ancient Woodlands and 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty's 70 years of service. Under one of the Ancient tree dedications, the old Sycamore at Dumfries House in Scotland, The Prince said:
Trees and woodlands have a profound significance for us all – their steadfast and reassuring presence a reminder of our long serving Sovereign and her enduring dedication. Let us ensure that in her name we can now protect and strengthen this wonderful living Canopy for the next seventy years and, hopefully, way beyond. And, above all, let us ensure that future generations can celebrate and enjoy them.
Check out the QGC map, encompassing the thousands of trees that have been planted for the scheme!
The Platinum Jubilee Cookbook
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall wrote a joint foreword for The Platinum Jubilee Cookbook.
In celebration of Her Majesty’s Jubilee, 70 British Embassies and High Commissions have come together from around the world to provide recipes - many of which served during Royal visits – that are proudly British, inspired by local influences from the Embassy's host country, or a fusion of the two.
What shines through is a sense of the excitement and pleasure that our diplomats have experienced from discovering a local cuisine and, through it, a new country and people.
The Platinum Pudding Competition
A Lemon and Swiss Roll and Amaretti Trifle was announced as the official pudding for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee, beating over 5,000 other desserts to the top.
In a BBC programme 'The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking', five finalists' puddings were tasted by a panel of judges led by The Duchess of Cornwall and Dame Mary Berry, before Jemma Melvin was announced as the winner for her take on the dessert.
Watch 'The Jubilee Pudding: 70 Years in the Baking' on BBC iPlayer
The competition was run by Fortnum & Mason, in partnership with The Big Jubilee Lunch, to create a pudding that had a memorable story behind it, tasted delicious, and was fit for The Queen.
The dish will be recreated by thousands of street parties across the country as we celebrate Her Majesty's Jubilee weekend.
EastEnders
In March, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the set of EastEnders, as filming for their Jubilee episodes was underway, at the BBC's Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire.
EastEnders is the longest running continuing television drama on the BBC, having first aired in 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford, the award-winning programme has created some of the most talked about moments in British television and has tackled a range of issues, helping to raise awareness and discussion.
However this wasn’t a standard visit for Their Royal Highnesses, as it has been announced The Prince and The Duchess will make a special appearance in Thursday's episode of the programme. Starring as themselves, Their Royal Highnesses will join the residents of Albert Square as they celebrate with a Big Jubilee Lunch street party.
Platinum Champion Awards
In honour of the charity's Patron, Her Majesty The Queen and the great example she has set in her 70 years of service, the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) launched the Platinum Champions Awards for volunteers.
Together with The Duchess of Cornwall, who is President of the RVS, and in partnership with The Big Jubilee Lunch, the Awards are an official Jubilee project to celebrate outstanding volunteers across the country who are making a difference every day.
Her Royal Highness said:
The Platinum Champions Awards, launched by Royal Voluntary Service in honour of Her Majesty The Queen’s 70 years of service, have given us the opportunity to celebrate the remarkable contribution of all volunteers, who truly are the backbone of our country.
Congratulations to all our Platinum Champions – and my heartfelt thanks to you and to the millions of volunteers across the UK who give their time and talents so generously.
Thousands of people aged from 16 to 101 from all over the UK and supporting a range of causes were nominated and from these nominations, 490 volunteers have been hand-picked by a judging panel presided over by The Duchess, and crowned Platinum Champions.
All 490 Platinum Champions will receive a specially designed pin and a signed certificate from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. The 70 most outstanding volunteers have also been invited to celebrate at a special edition of The Big Jubilee Lunch in London on the 5th June.
The Big Jubilee Lunch
Since it started in 2009, The Big Lunch has seen millions of people come together across the UK to celebrate with neighbours and their local communities. The Duchess of Cornwall has been Patron of the Big Lunch since 2013, recognising the power that bringing people together over a meal can have in building a stronger community and improving individuals’ mental wellbeing.
In May, The Duchess attended a pre-Jubilee Big Lunch in Manchester at Emmaus Mossley, a charity that offers a home, work and personal support to a community of 26 formerly homeless people. The event brought together Emmaus Mossley supporters and volunteers, Platinum Champion nominees and representatives from Global Grooves, a carnival organisation who will be part of the Jubilee Pageant.
As part of their Jubilee Week engagements, Their Royal Highnesses will meet hundreds of guests at the flagship Big Jubilee Lunch, being held at The Oval cricket ground in London. During the event, The Duchess will present Platinum Champions with certificates and pins, before cutting a Big Jubilee Lunch cake.
Overseas Visits
Ireland
In the Jubilee year, Their Royal Highnesses started their visit in Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, and finished at the Rock of Cashel, where Her Majesty The Queen made a landmark visit in 2011.
Throughout the visit, Their Royal Highnesses met local community groups, businesses and first responders who worked to support others through the pandemic. His Royal Highness also met with farmers, officials and community organisers who are helping Ireland to meet its climate change goals by producing food and drink more sustainably.
Ending their time in Ireland at Brú Ború Cultural Centre, The Prince said:
On her visit eleven years ago, my mother had a very similar thought in mind when she described her hope that we might live in harmony – “close, as good neighbours should be.” It is a thought which my wife and I have consciously tried to put into action, visiting this wonderfully atmospheric land every year since 2015, interrupted only by the pandemic.
Canada
In May, Their Royal Highnesses celebrated the Platinum Jubilee in Canada, the country most visited by Her Majesty during her reign. The tour began in St John’s, where they attended an Official Welcome Ceremony and watched a number of artistic and cultural performances representing Newfoundland and Labrador’s rich tradition of song and story. His Royal Highness said:
As we begin this Platinum Jubilee visit, which will take us from the newest member of Confederation to among the oldest communities in the North – and to a much-storied capital at the heart of a great nation – my wife and I look forward to listening to you and learning about the future you are working to build.
Adding to Government House's Jubilee Commonwealth Walkway, Their Royal Highnesses planted a tree for The Queen's Green Canopy. Once completed, the walkway will be one kilometre long, winding through more than 50 commemorative trees that have been planted over the years to recognise visits by Royalty and other notable dignitaries.
Their Royal Highnesses also travelled to Ottawa, where The Prince laid a wreath and The Duchess placed a bouquet at the National War Memorial in remembrance of the sacrifices and service of current members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, and their families. The memorial was unveiled by King George VI in 1939 - since then, many members of the Royal Family have visited the site to pay their respects. In 1951, the young Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh attended a ceremony at the Memorial, as part of an extensive tour of the country.
At an event with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall inspected and engaged with ride members and their horses. The Prince and The Duchess also met trades of the Musical Ride, including a mare and foal with their handlers from the R.C.M.P.’s breeding farm, equestrian trainers, and farriers. The Musical Ride Centre, which Their Royal Highnesses saw during the visit, was opened in 2002 by Her Majesty The Queen.
The third and final day of the tour saw The Prince and Duchess travel to Yellowknife, where they were invited to participate in a Feeding the Fire Ceremony. This ceremony began with an opening prayer followed by a prayer to the spirits and saw Their Royal Highnesses put offerings of tobacco into the fire.
Their Royal Highnesses returned to the Prince of Wales Heritage Centre, which His Royal Highness opened in 1979. The Centre acquires and manages objects and archival materials that represent the cultures and history of the Northwest Territories (NWT) and plays a primary role in documenting and providing information about the NWT’s culture and history.
At Ceremonial Circle, an area that celebrates the Northwest Territories, its people and many cultures, The Prince of Wales said:
When we began our journey in St. John’s earlier this week – and in marking The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by celebrating the spirit of people and service - our great hope was that we might listen to, and learn from Canadians directly. This hope has been more than fulfilled. We have treasured beyond words the way that so many people have shared with us their experiences, their ideas and their example. Time and again, we have heard about such marvellous instances of neighbours helping neighbours in need – whether in Canada or around the world.
