Diamond Jubilee
HBM
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, national and regional events to mark the Diamond Jubilee are being co-ordinated by the Queen-in-Council and her Royal Household at Buckingham Palace.[12] As for the Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for co-ordinating the Cabinet-led aspects of the celebrations.[13]
On 5 January 2010, the Lord President of the Council and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson announced that a special extra bank holiday would take place on Tuesday, 5 June 2012.[12][1][14] By moving the Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) to 4 June, this will result in a special four-day holiday in honour of the Diamond Jubilee, coinciding with the Queen's Official Birthday in the United Kingdom, also on 4 June.[1][15] As national holidays are a devolved matter, Scotland's first minister confirmed separately that the bank holiday would be held on 5 June in that country as well.[16] A large event will be staged in London on that weekend,[15] which may include a maritime parade of boats and events along the River Thames and a diamond jubilee concert,[17] reportedly to be produced by singer-songwriter Gary Barlow.[18] Street parties are also to take place across the country.[19]
Special community lottery grants, called The Jubilee People's Millions, are being offered by the Big Lottery Fund and ITV.[20] There was a contest held by the BBC children's programme Blue Peter to design the official emblem for the Diamond Jubilee; the winning design, announced in February 2011, was created by ten-year-old Katherine Dewar.[21]
To mark the jubilee, the Queen will bestow Royal Borough status on Greenwich, in south-east London.[1][22] In addition, a competition will grant in 2012 city status to one town and either a lord mayoralty or lord provostship to one city.[23] The Olympic park in East London, created for the 2012 London Olympics, will be named the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the Olympics.[24]
See also
- § Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
- § Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
- § List of longest-reigning British monarchs
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