Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee

The year 2002 will mark the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the Throne. This will be an occasion both to look back at the role that The Queen has played in the affairs of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth over the last 50 years and to look forwards.

Six key themes have been identified to guide the planning and delivery of the Golden Jubilee celebrations:

CELEBRATION
The Queen has expressed the wish that her Golden Jubilee should be an occasion for celebration involving the whole community in this country and throughout the Commonwealth. The focal point of the celebrations will be the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday 4 June 2002 on the final day of a Jubilee weekend of special events to mark the Golden Jubilee starting on Saturday 1 June. The summer of 2002, from May to July, will be given over to celebrations in every city, region, county, town and village across the United Kingdom.

SERVICE
The Golden Jubilee celebrations will provide a special opportunity to acknowledge all those who support and contribute to their communities through public service and voluntary endeavor.

INVOLVING THE WHOLE COMMUNITY
The Queen hopes that the celebrations will reach into every community and involve everyone no matter what their background, age, culture, ethnic origin, religion or other status. It is hoped that the Golden Jubilee will be an inclusive occasion; that the celebrations will be accessible to all those who want to participate; and that they will reflect the multiculturalism in our society today and the diversity we see around us.

LOOKING FORWARD AS WELL AS BACK
The celebration of a 50-year reign is a time for reflection on the ways in which our lives have changed over half a century. It also offers us the chance to take stock of where we stand today and to look to the future. The Golden Jubilee is as much for young people in our communities as it is for the older generation. Celebrating the achievements of the youth of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth and looking ahead to the contribution of youth to our society are important aspects of the Golden Jubilee.

COMMONWEALTH
The significance of the Commonwealth to the development and modern life of our nation is central to the program of Golden Jubilee events scheduled for 2002. There is an important Commonwealth dimension to each of the other themes which places the Commonwealth at the heart of the Jubilee.

Official Holidays
On the advice of the Prime Minister, The Queen has agreed that there should be an extra Bank Holiday for the Golden Jubilee on Monday 3 June 2002. The late May Bank Holiday, which would otherwise fall on Monday 27 May in 2002, will be moved to Tuesday 4 June. The dates were selected to allow as many people as possible to join in the celebrations.

The Queen will attend a National Service of Thanksgiving in St Paul's Cathedral, London on Tuesday 4 June 2002. Her Majesty hopes to tour within the United Kingdom from May to July. She will visit the Armed Forces in Portsmouth on 27 June, open the Commonwealth Games in Manchester on 25 July and close them on 4 August.

It is hoped that the Golden Jubilee will be an occasion for celebrations across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

Golden Jubilee Celebrations "A chance to say thank you, and to have a good time" says Tessa Jowell

An extended bank holiday weekend will allow the whole country to celebrate fifty years of The Queen’s reign. Concerts from Buckingham Palace, Beacon-lighting and Fireworks, and a Carnival Pageant will be the focal points of the national celebrations taking place in central London over the Golden Jubilee Weekend of 1 to 4 June 2002, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell announced today.

The Jubilee is expected to play a major part in reviving the tourist industry in 2002. The events planned for Jubilee Weekend will be a magnet for visitors from all over the world as well as the UK.

The events planned for the Jubilee Weekend are:

Notes

1. Palace Concerts. As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations, The Queen will be opening Buckingham Palace gardens for two concerts - a classical one on the evening of Saturday 1 June and a pop one on the evening of Monday 3 June. To ensure that everyone wishing to attend the concerts has a chance of doing so, invitations will be issued by ballot. Details of the ballot arrangements and how to apply will be announced early next year.

Over and above that, there are plans to have giant screens in the vicinity of the Palace so that as many people as possible will have the chance to watch the concerts. The screens would also be available for those watching the ceremonial processions in the Mall on the Tuesday.

The ‘pop’ concert on the Monday will be preceded by ‘BBC Music Live’ celebrations around the UK.

2. Jubilee Church services. . ‘Churches Together in Britain and Ireland’ will be making available material for use in church services.

3. The National Beacon will be lit by The Queen and followed by fireworks. A chain of beacons will stretch across the UK and the Commonwealth. The organiser will be Bruno Peek.

4. National Service of Thanksgiving. Plans are at an early stage, but this will be an all-inclusive occasion and guests will be invited from a wide cross-section of the UK. The Service will be relayed to the giant screens in the Mall.

5. Guildhall. Following the Thanksgiving Service there will be a lunch at the Guildhall hosted by the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London. Plans are currently being formulated, including for the guest list that will include a wide cross-section of the UK public of all ages.

6. The Carnival Pageant and the Fireworks will be organized by Major Sir Michael Parker who produced, amongst other things, the Royal Tournaments, VE / VJ celebrations and The Queen Mother’s 100th Birthday Pageant.

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