Union flags decorate The Mall in London ahead of the Trooping the Colour parade this morning
Also there were a number of extended family - the Queen's cousins the Duke of Kent, the Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and Prince Michael of Kent and his wife Princess Michael of Kent among others.
Close eye kept on Queen during busy Jubilee commitments
Royal aides will be keeping a close eye on the Queen to make sure she does not overdo it during the Jubilee weekend.
The monarch has faced ongoing 'episodic mobility problems', stretching back to last autumn, and now uses a walking stick.
Her royal physicians are also likely to be close at hand in case needed as the monarch, now just four years away from her 100th birthday, undertakes a busy run of appearances to mark her milestone reign.
In recent months, the 96-year-old Queen has cancelled a run of major engagements including the State Opening of Parliament.
But in the weeks leading up to her Jubilee celebrations, she has also made surprise visits to open the Elizabeth line and to tour, using a golf buggy, the Chelsea Flower Show.
She flew to Balmoral at the weekend, taking the opportunity to rest during a short break ahead of the high profile national events. In October 2021, she used a walking stick at a Westminster Abbey service - the first time she had done so at a major engagement.
A week later, after a busy autumn programme, she was ordered to rest by her doctors and advised to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland.
The Queen was secretly admitted to hospital for 'preliminary investigations' and had her first overnight stay in hospital for eight years on October 20 2021. The next day she was back at her desk at Windsor, carrying out light duties.
But concern for her health mounted when she pulled out of more high-profile engagements, including the Cop26 climate change summit and the Festival of Remembrance, with Buckingham Palace saying she had been advised to continue to rest and to not carry out any official visits. She was intent on attending the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, but missed this due to a sprained back.
For more than three months she carried out only light duties, including virtual and face-to-face audiences in the confines of Windsor Castle. In February 2022, she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, meeting charity workers at Sandringham House and cutting a Jubilee cake in what was her largest in-person public engagement since October.
Many of her duties are now carried out by video calls, and the country's longest-reigning sovereign remarked during a in-person audience in February: 'Well, as you can see, I can't move.'
There were fears for her health when she finally caught Covid, testing positive on February 20 2022. The triple-vaccinated Queen suffered from mild cold-like symptoms, but said the virus left her 'very tired and exhausted'.
She carried on with light duties while self-isolating at Windsor, but cancelled some virtual audiences.
She pulled out of the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in March, a significant date in the royal calendar given the importance to her of the family of nations, and did not attend the Maundy Thursday service. But she rallied to honour the Duke of Edinburgh at a memorial service at the end of March, walking slowly and carefully with the aid of a stick, and holding on to the Duke of York's elbow for support.
In May 2022, she missed the State Opening of Parliament for the first time in nearly 60 years, with Buckingham Palace attributing her absence to 'episodic mobility problems'.
The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge opened parliament on her behalf as Counsellors of State, with Charles reading the Queen's Speech for a historic first time.
Much has changed in the past seven months, with Buckingham Palace mostly only confirming the Queen's attendance at engagements on the day, with the decision dependent on how she is feeling in the morning.
The Queen did go to the Windsor Horse Show in May and she was also the guest of honour at the equestrian extravaganza A Gallop Through History near Windsor, the first major event of the Jubilee festivities.
She also made a surprise appearance to officially open the Elizabeth line at Paddington Station, looking bright and cheery, but with her visit limited to just 10 minutes. She also turned up at the Chelsea Flower Show, and was driven around the floral extravaganza in her new hi-tech golf buggy for her comfort.
There was no Camilla, as the duchess was still Mrs Parker Bowles and three years away from marrying Charles.
For the Silver Jubilee in 1977, it was the Queen, Philip, their children who were then young adults and teens, as well as the influential figure of Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who was murdered by the IRA two years later.
They were joined by the royal matriarch the Queen Mother, the Queen's sister Princess Margaret and Anne's now ex-husband Captain Mark Phillips.
In 2022, scandals and family dramas have ensured a vastly altered balcony ensemble for the traditional flypast.
Gone is Harry, after he and the Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior working royals amid the Megxit saga.
Harry and Meghan are returning to the UK for what will be the former Suits actress' first experience of a Jubilee since she married into the Windsors.
But the Queen has 'after careful consideration' limited the Platinum Jubilee Trooping the Colour balcony appearance to working members of her family who carry out official public duties.
Eighteen royals will appear on Thursday including the Queen, if mobility problems allow her to do so, and Charles, Camilla, William and Kate.
There is also no place for Andrew, who was cast out of the institution over his civil sexual assault case.
But back on the balcony are Edward and Sophie, and Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, as well as the Queen's cousins the Duke of Gloucester and his wife the Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra who have devoted their lives to royal service.
This Jubilee also sees new young additions, with the Queen's Cambridge great-grandchildren Prince George - a future monarch - Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and the Wessexes' children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn set to appear.
Trooping the Colour is a spectacle popular with tourists and a social event for military families, but it is a ceremony steeped in the practical necessities of warfare.
On Horse Guards Parade, the site where King Henry VIII once jousted, the colour or regimental flag of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards will be paraded in front of thousands.
The soldiers on parade are servicemen trained to fight but they have spent months perfecting their ceremonial duties which will be on display for all to see, especially the Queen, who is head of the armed forces.
The ceremony dates back to the days when knowing where your comrades were in the confusion of the battlefield was paramount, and the flags of leaders were a rallying point for their troops.
Each fighting group had its own distinguishing flag and from the 1,700 company colours were gradually replaced by battalion colours, but they maintained their role as a marker in the noise and smoke of conflict.
The flag was carried past the ranks of soldiers at the end of the day, so they would be reminded of their unit's colour, and escorted to a lodging serving as the headquarters for the night, and in the morning it was carried with reverence to its place in the ranks.
A great importance was placed on the colours which came to represent the spirit of the regiment especially when they were battle scared, with rips or holes after an encounter with the enemy.
Originally, the parade was known as 'Lodging the Colours' but it differs very little from the modern Trooping ceremony, and in 1805 the custom of Trooping the Colour to honour the sovereign's birthday was first adopted but lapsed soon afterwards.
The ceremony was revived during the reign of King George IV and has continued since then.
The Queen celebrates her birthday twice a year - on April 21, her actual birthday, and during the summer with the Trooping the Colour ceremony also known as the Birthday Parade.
The decision to give the monarch two birthdays dates back to Edward VII who was born on November 9 but celebrated the anniversary in May and June as the weather was better during these months for outdoor events.
Subsequent monarchs had birthdays at more convenient times of the year, but the Queen's father, King George VI, reintroduced the tradition which she has continued.
It is hoped that this weekend, in addition to the Trooping the Colour, the Queen will make a second Jubilee appearance at the end of the weekend after the Pageant on Sunday.
The Platinum Jubilee is the first major milestone the Queen has celebrated without the Duke of Edinburgh, who was at her side during the ups and downs of her long reign.
The Queen has thanked the nation on the eve of her historic Platinum Jubilee, saying she continues to be inspired by the goodwill shown to her - while an official portrait of Her Majesty has also been unveiled to mark the start of the celebrations
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pictured with son Archie, three, and daughter Lilibet, who will turn one this weekend
The Queen, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry and Meghan along with other royals at Trooping the Colour in London in June 2019
Harry and Meghan, along with her mother Doria Ragland, introduce Archie to the Queen and Prince Philip in May 2019
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said in a tweet on their official account this morning: 'We're looking forward to celebrating and seeing how you're joining us in marking this #PlatinumJubilee weekend'
Philip - the man the Queen described as her 'strength and stay' - was married to the monarch for 73 years and devoted decades of his life to royal duty.
Queen's relationships with 14 prime ministers
The Queen's 70 years as sovereign has seen 14 prime ministers, from Second World War statesman Sir Winston Churchill to present premier Boris Johnson.
Political leaders have consistently paid tribute to the monarch for her sage advice and impressive knowledge on home and world affairs during her private weekly audiences with her PMs.
Sir Winston, her first prime minister, is thought to be her favourite. He greeted the young, grieving monarch back on British soil after her sudden return from Kenya on the death of her father, King George VI. When Sir Winston retired in 1955, the Queen sent him a hand-written letter telling him how much she missed him and how no successor 'will ever for me be able to hold the place of my first Prime Minister'. Sir Winston had nurtured her through the early years, giving her invaluable advice.
The Queen's relationship with the starchy Sir Anthony Eden was certainly more formal, while Harold Macmillan was an urbane figure in contrast to the monarch who is a countrywoman at heart. However, on one occasion, rather than discussing affairs of state at one of their audiences, the Queen and Mr Macmillan could be seen huddled over a transistor radio as US astronaut John Glenn was hurtling through space.
Sir Alec Douglas-Home reportedly met with royal approval. An aide said: 'He was an old friend. They talked about dogs and shooting together. They were both Scottish landowners, the same sort of people, like old schoolfriends.'
Harold Wilson endeared himself to the Queen. 'They got on like a house on fire,' one long-standing member of the Labour Party said. He used to join members of the royal family for riverside picnics at Balmoral.
However, Sir Edward Heath is said to have struggled with small talk and their weekly audiences have been described as 'frosty'.
James Callaghan managed to establish a warm rapport. He said about the Queen: 'One of the great things about her is that she always seems able to see the funny side of life. All the conversations were very enjoyable.'
But things were very different with Margaret Thatcher, who reportedly found the traditional September weekend at Balmoral painful. One observer wrote: 'A weekend in the country with aristocrats who enjoy riding, shooting, sports and games is Thatcher's idea of torture. But her dread of the weekend receded as the two women became somewhat more comfortable with one another.'
Baroness Thatcher also could not abide the charades that she was expected to play after dinner at Balmoral and the Queen later, at a gathering of six of her premiers, joked about 'the party games which some of you have so nobly endured at Balmoral'. When Baroness Thatcher died in April 2013, the Queen took the unusual step of attending her ceremonial funeral - a personal decision and an indication of the Queen's respect for her first - and at the time her only - female prime minister.
Sir John Major was popular with the royal family, and the Queen in particular, largely because of the genuine concern he expressed for the welfare of the two young princes William and Harry, first on the divorce of their parents and then on the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
Sir Tony Blair was described in some palace quarters as a 'head of state-in-waiting', and there were courtiers who were not happy by what they saw as his encouragement of a 'people's monarchy'. Neither Sir Tony, who later revealed details of his private conversations with the Queen in his memoirs, nor Gordon Brown, who was reported to have a good but formal relationship with the royals, were invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding in 2011.
A red-faced David Cameron was forced to make a grovelling apology to the Queen in 2014 after his 'purr-gate' blunder. Mr Cameron was caught on camera telling then New York mayor Michael Bloomberg that the monarch had 'purred down the line' when he telephoned and told her the result of the Scottish independence referendum.
Theresa May was the second female prime minister of the Queen's reign - taking up her post in July 2016 in the wake of the Brexit vote, more than a quarter of a century after Mrs Thatcher stood down. Ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, Mrs May told the House of Commons: 'She has seen prime ministers come and go, I was number 13.'
She added: 'She has greeted us all with charm and consideration and with an impressive knowledge and understanding of the issues of the day.'
Mrs May attempted an impression of the Queen as she recalled how the head of state was driving her to a BBQ in the Scottish Highlands when they came across a large stag. 'Her Majesty slammed on the brakes and said: 'What's he doing here?'.'
She added: 'She couldn't understand why he had come down so low. She knew the countryside, she knew its animals.'
Mrs May's premiership ended in 2019 after she endured a torrid time dogged by the issue of Brexit. She was succeeded by Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson was only a few hours into his post when he revealed what was said in his audience with the Queen as he accepted her invitation to form the next Government and become PM. A correspondent for Euronews NBC said the outspoken politician claimed the monarch quipped 'I don't know why anyone would want the job'.
Mr Johnson, who disclosed the remarks during a tour in 10 Downing Street, was told off by staff who warned him not to repeat such things so loudly. He later talked about their private audiences again, describing their meetings as a 'very tough interview'. A few months into his premiership, Mr Johnson apologised to the Queen after the Supreme Court ruled his advice to her - imparted by Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg at Balmoral - to prorogue Parliament for five weeks had been 'unlawful'.
Another apology to Buckingham Palace came from Downing Street amid the pandemic when two staff leaving events were held at Number 10 on April 16 last year, the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral. Sue Gray's report into the partygate scandal later revealed that staff carried on drinking at Number 10 the night before Philip's funeral until the early hours, with the last person not leaving until 4.20am.
On April 17, the Queen sat alone in mourning for her late husband amid strict Covid restrictions, with the congregation limited to just 30 people. Mr Johnson revealed during a Parliamentary tribute to the Queen in her Jubilee year that his regular meetings with the monarch were always 'immensely comforting, because she has seen the sweep of it'.
He died at the age of 99 in April last year during the pandemic, leaving the Queen grieving for her lifelong confidant.
Ed Sheeran is to perform his love song Perfect at the Jubilee Pageant in a moving tribute to the Queen and Philip.
At the finale of the carnival procession through the streets of London on Sunday, the star will sing the hit romantic ballad as footage of the couple fills the giant screens around the stage.
Other tributes to Philip will appear in the pageant, with a Bollywood-inspired interpretation of the Queen and the duke's wedding day.
A 20ft (6m) wedding cake, housing a sound system playing classic Bollywood anthems and accompanied by 250 Bollywood dancers, will process down The Mall in a reimagining of their 1947 marriage celebration.
A representation of Philip's beloved sailing boat Bluebottle will feature in the section devoted to the 'Queen's Favourites', which will also include puppet corgis and horses.
It was Philip who broke the news to the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth that her father had died and she had acceded to the throne as Queen while they were away in Kenya on a tour.
He was the first layman to pay tender homage to the newly crowned monarch during her Coronation ceremony in 1953, and was there for her Silver and Golden Jubilees and when she became the longest reigning monarch in 2015.
At the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, Philip was with the Queen for the river pageant in extremely wet and windy conditions, joining a flotilla of 1,000 boats along the Thames.
But the next day he was admitted to hospital with a bladder infection and missed the Jubilee concert and service of thanksgiving.
In her most recent Christmas Day broadcast, the Queen poignantly reflected on a year of personal grief, saying there was 'one familiar laugh missing' as she acknowledged the death of her husband.
She gave a personal tribute to her 'beloved Philip' and remarked how his 'mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him'.
The Queen was a young princess when she first met dashing naval cadet Prince Philip of Greece in 1939, during a visit to the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth where he was studying.
Philip, who was 18, was introduced to 13-year-old Elizabeth at the house of the captain of the College.
Handsome, blond-haired and athletic, Philip caught Lilibet's eye as he entertained her by jumping over tennis nets.
Marion Crawford, Elizabeth's governess, recalled: 'She never took her eyes off him the whole time.'
The pair began writing to each other and Philip was invited to spend the Christmas of 1943 with the royal family at Windsor.
They became secretly engaged in the summer of 1946 while they were staying at Balmoral.
Never-before-seen footage of the Queen, being shown in the BBC documentary Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen on Sunday night, reveals the overjoyed princess proudly showing off her engagement ring in a home movie.
The official announcement was delayed until after Princess Elizabeth reached the age of 21 and returned from a royal tour of South Africa the following year.
The couple wed in November 1947 and a few years later settled into married life in Malta where Philip, a naval officer, was stationed, but the death of King George VI in 1952 changed their world.
Now head of state, the Queen led a life governed by her duties as monarch. The duke, who had already given up a promising naval career as the king's health worsened, was destined to walk one step behind his wife.
In private, the Queen deferred to Philip, who led the family, and the couple's successful marriage became the bedrock of the monarchy.
The duke was summed up by the Queen in 1997 in a speech to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.
Paying tribute to her husband's far-reaching influence, she said: 'He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments.
'But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.'
After Philip retired from royal duties in 2017, he was said to have spent much of his time at Sandringham, enjoying the sanctuary as he painted and read.
But in the final period of their marriage, the couple found themselves living together as they shielded from the coronavirus pandemic at Windsor Castle.
The start of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations also coincide with another significant anniversary for the monarch - her Coronation Day.
Sixty nine years ago, Elizabeth II was crowned in religious ceremony staged on June 2 1953 in the historic surrounds of Westminster Abbey and celebrated with street parties across the country.
The Queen is now the nation's longest reigning monarch and the only one in British history to mark a Platinum Jubilee.
In 1953, She was just 27 years old and 16 months into her role as sovereign when the coronation took place, serving as a morale boost for a nation starved of pageantry following the Second World War.
The day of the coronation saw the nation host celebrations despite the hardship of post-war rationing, and even the atrocious, unseasonal weather could not dampen the festivities.
People began to bed down in the streets of London two days before the big event.
Despite the pouring rain and driving wind, the evening before, half a million people were already lining the procession route.
The coronation was shared with a wider audience through the relatively new medium of television.
Despite initial reservations, the Queen eventually agreed to allow TV cameras to be present inside the Abbey to capture the historic event.
An estimated 27 million people in Britain alone watched the coronation live on their, or their neighbours', black and white televisions.
The Queen arriving back in Windsor on Tuesday after a short break at Balmoral ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Harry and Meghan will watch today from the Major General's Office, circled, overlooking Horse Guards Parade (file image)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex board a plane at Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga during a royal tour in October 2018
The Sussexes are expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, where they will hold a party for Lilibet's first birthday
The uncrowned Queen Elizabeth II - she actually wore the George IV Diadem on her journey there - set out from Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach.
Horses have been the Queen's lifelong passion
More than any other interest, horses and ponies have been the Queen's passion throughout her long life.
The monarch's love for the equine world is something she shared with her mother and she has been breeding and racing horses for more than 60 years. Thoroughbreds owned by the Queen have won four out of the five flat racing classics - the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks and the St Leger - with only the Derby eluding her.
The monarch's horse Dunfermline, ridden by jockey Willie Carson, gave the Queen her most famous victory, triumphing in the Oaks and St Leger in her Silver Jubilee year 1977. In recent years the Queen made sporting history when she became the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot's Gold Cup with her thoroughbred Estimate in 2013. She has also notched up more than 20 winners at Royal Ascot - one of the premier events of the racing season.
From early childhood the Queen was surrounded by horses and relatives who owned, rode and talked about them. Her first reported riding lesson took place in the private riding school at Buckingham Palace Mews in January 1930, when she was still only three years old. When she was five the Queen Mother led her on Peggy, a Shetland pony given to her when she was four by her grandfather King George V, to a meet of the Pytchley Hounds at Boughton Cover.
After she became sovereign in February 1952, the Queen inherited the royal colours: purple, gold braid, scarlet sleeves, black velvet cap with gold fringe. Her first winner as Queen came just a few months later when Choir Boy passed the winning post ahead of the field to claim the Wilburton Handicap at Newmarket that May. The next few years were a golden period for her horses and in 1954 and again in 1957 she was named the leading winner-owner.
Over the following decades, she pursued her keen interest in horse breeding, sending her mares to stud farms around the world as well as breeding animals at home.
The Queen's horses and ponies, which number around 180, are kept at various royal residences and stables from Sandringham to Balmoral. The monarch takes a keen interest in their breeding and training and is respected for her knowledge of the equine world. But the head of state famously does not bet and appears to get her enjoyment from watching her horses develop and compete.
The Queen's cousin Margaret Rhodes, interviewed a number of years ago for a BBC documentary about the monarch's passion for horse racing, said: 'You see I think that early on, when she became Queen, I think that she had to sacrifice within herself an awful lot of emotions and thoughts of the future and everything else.
'But I think with horses it's another world in that it reduces you to just the person in relation to the animal, and you're not a Queen, you're just a human being.'
Years later in a BBC documentary about the day, the Queen recalled how the journey had been 'horrible'.
'It's only sprung on leather,' she said of the coach, adding: 'Not very comfortable.'
The Gold State Coach will play a starring role in the Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, travelling down The Mall, with footage of the Queen using it on her Coronation showing at its windows, giving the impression of the young monarch riding in the carriage.
The Queen also told many years later how she had a problem getting started in her lengthy coronation robe.
'I remember one moment when I was going against the pile of the carpet and I couldn't move at all,' she remarked.
Her coronation dress, by couturier Norman Hartnell, was a white satin gown, encrusted with diamonds, gold and silver bullion, seed pearls, crystals, pale amethysts and sequins to create a shimmering effect.
Embroidery in pastel-coloured silks depicted the emblems of the United Kingdom and countries of the Commonwealth.
The three-hour service took place in front of a congregation of more than 8,000 people.
The Queen took the coronation oath, was anointed and received the regalia including the orb, coronation ring, the glove and the sceptre, before being crowned with the majestic St Edward's Crown.
The crown, which dates from 1661, weighs 4lbs and 12oz and is made from solid gold.
The Duke of Edinburgh swore to be his wife's 'liege man of life and limb' and was the first layman to pay tender homage to the newly crowned monarch.
Prince Charles, looking rather bored, watched in the Abbey seated between his widowed grandmother, the Queen Mother, and his aunt, Princess Margaret, but two-year-old Princess Anne was considered too young to attend.
The two-hour procession - mirrored in the carnival Jubilee Pageant procession route this weekend - back to Buckingham Palace was designed so as many people as possible could see the monarch.
The Queen changed into a robe of purple velvet and put on the lighter Imperial State Crown before she left the Abbey.
She appeared on the balcony with Philip and other members of the royal family including Charles and Anne to wave at the crowds.
In her broadcast address to the nation the same evening, the young Queen thanked the public for their support. 'Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust,' she said.
In other events this weekend, a special showing of the spectacular Kynren historical re-enactment pageant is being staged in a tribute to the Platinum Jubilee.
Some 1,000 volunteers are putting on the outdoors night-time show which romps through 2,000 years of English history in 90 minutes, with Queen Elizabeth featuring centre stage in the firework-lit finale.
It features bloody battles with the Romans and Vikings, Norman invaders, civil war and world wars, industry and entertainment, and three queens - in addition to the reigning monarch.
A special show tomorrow kicks off Kynren's seventh season, staged in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, thanks to philanthropist Jonathan Ruffer, who is hoping to regenerate the town through culture.
Prince William leads The Colonel's Review - the final evaluation of the Trooping the Colour parade - in London on May 28
As colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Andrew has previously played a key role at Trooping the Colour (pictured there in 2019)
The Queen and Prince Philip wave to the crowd from the balcony at Buckingham Palace following her coronation in June 1953
1953 -- Crowds of people try to shelter amid heavy rain on The Mall before the for the Coronation procession in June 1953
Speaking after a dress rehearsal, show CEO Anne-Isabelle Daulon said: 'It meant a lot to us to bring forward our usual summer season and have a show that would coincide with the coronation of the Queen 70 years ago.
'The finale is the coming together of all the all the cast members that have been on stage throughout the show. And it's a celebration of coming together which is also the meaning of this adventure. And we do that under amazing fireworks. So, what's not to like?'
The show creator wished that the Queen would enjoy the show if she came to see it, saying: 'I hope she would take it as an expression of gratitude for a life of service. We celebrate what is best in the country and we hope to put a smile on people's faces, giving them the opportunity to reflect and to actually feel really proud.
'So, hopefully, she would like it. It's a very fitting way of celebrating the Jubilee and Britishness, and this weekend is all about communities coming together. It's about being positive, being proud and feeling that this is what the nation does best. So, I think it encapsulates Kynren.'
Local people put on the show, either performing or hosting visitors, after receiving professional training.
The open air shows are performed beneath Auckland Castle and feature daring horse riding, waddling ducks, flaming arrows, a Norman longboat, the Beatles and the Spice Girls. The Jubilee show today is followed by performances every Saturday night in August and the first two in September.
How the nation will celebrate Queen's historic Platinum Jubilee with four days of joyous celebrations starting TODAY with Trooping the Colour before ending with a glorious pageant
Anticipation is building for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with people across the UK preparing to mark Her Majesty's 70th year on the throne with a four-day weekend of festivities - starting from today.
A series of major events has been scheduled, beginning this morning with Trooping the Colour and ending on Sunday with a special Pageant celebrating the life of the nation's longest-reigning monarch.
Outdoor parties will also take place on Sunday as part of the Big Jubilee Lunch, while there will be a televised concert on the BBC from Buckingham Palace the day before. Though celebrations have already started in some places, official events will begin today with a special Trooping the Colour.
More than 1,500 officers and soldiers and 350 horses from the Household Division will stage the display on Horse Guards Parade in London, with the colour trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards.
The Queen is expected to delight crowds with an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony - at the start of celebrations after Trooping the Colour. It is also expected that she will appear again on the balcony after the Pageant parade finale on Sunday.
The monarch is also hoping to be able attend the service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday, with her wider family including - it is expected - Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and Prince Andrew.
The Queen, 96, is also set to spend time with the Sussexes, who are bringing their children Archie and Lilibet over from the US - and could meet Lili for the first time as she celebrates her first birthday on Saturday.
On Sunday, thousands of people will gather across the country as more than 85,000 Big Jubilee Lunches and street parties are staged in celebration of the Queen's record-breaking 70 year reign.
Royal Family members will also visit every corner of the UK over the weekend for official engagements - with William and Kate going to Wales; Edward and Sophie travelling to Northern Ireland; and Anne to Scotland.
Here, MailOnline looks at the programme of events over the four-day bank holiday weekend from today:
TODAY
Trooping the Colour (from 10am, flypast at 1pm)
The official programme for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee begins with the Trooping the Colour military spectacle this Thursday, which is due to begin at around 10am at Buckingham Palace.
More than 1,500 officers and soldiers and 350 horses from the Household Division will stage the display on Horse Guards Parade in London, with the colour trooped by the 1st Battalion, Irish Guards.
Some 400 musicians from 10 military bands and corps of drums will march amid pomp and pageantry.
The Royal Family will travel from Buckingham Palace along The Mall to the parade ground in carriages at about 10.30am, with the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge and the Princess Royal on horseback.
Plans are said to be in place either for the Queen briefly to inspect the troops on the parade ground or from the balcony with the Duke of Kent, or to only appear on the balcony with the royal family for a special flypast afterwards.
If the Queen does delegate her salute duties at Trooping to another family member, it will be the first time she has done so in her 70-year reign.
Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, William and the Duchess of Cambridge, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Anne, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, Princess Alexandra and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will be on the balcony for the flypast which is due to take place at about 1pm.
The Queen limited the numbers to working royals, meaning the Duke of York and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be there.
But her Cambridge great-grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and her two youngest grandchildren, the Wessexes' children Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, will be present.
A six-minute display by more than 70 aircraft will include the Red Arrows and the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Platinum Jubilee Beacons (from 9.25pm)
On Thursday evening, more than 3,000 beacons will be set ablaze across the UK and the Commonwealth in tribute to the Queen.
The network of flaming tributes will stretch throughout the country, with beacons at sites including the Tower of London, Windsor Great Park, Hillsborough Castle and the Queen's estates of Sandringham and Balmoral, and on top of the UK's four highest peaks.
The first beacons will be lit in Tonga and Samoa in the South Pacific, and the final one in the central American country of Belize.
The principal beacon outside the Palace – a 21-metre tall Tree of Trees sculpture for the Queen's Green Canopy initiative – will be illuminated by a senior member of the royal family, and images will be projected on to the Palace.
FRIDAY
Service of Thanksgiving (from 11am)
A traditional service of thanksgiving will be held at St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London from 11am on Friday.
There will be no ceremonial journey to the cathedral and the Queen, if she attends, will use a different entrance to aid her comfort rather than the steep main steps.
Wider members of the family are expected to be present including possibly Harry, Meghan and Andrew, and the service will be followed by a Guildhall reception for members of the royal family.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss the service. The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, will give the sermon instead.
Justin Welby was diagnosed with mild pneumonia last Thursday and was continuing to work, but after developing symptoms over the weekend he tested for coronavirus.
SATURDAY
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Cardiff Castle to meet performers and crew involved in the special Platinum Jubilee Celebration Concert taking place in the castle grounds later that afternoon, Buckingham Palace has announced.
During their visit, William and Kate will view rehearsals and meet some of the acts taking part in the celebrations, including Bonnie Tyler and Owain Wynn Evans.
Hosted by Aled Jones and Shan Cothi, the concert at Cardiff Castle will feature live performances from some of Wales' best-known singers and entertainers, alongside choirs, bands and orchestras.
During the extended bank holiday weekend, the Earl and Countess of Wessex will carry out two engagements in Northern Ireland while the Princess Royal, accompanied by Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, will visit Edinburgh.
Epsom Derby (from 4pm)
The Queen is no longer planning to attend the Epsom Derby during her Platinum Jubilee weekend.
The 96-year-old monarch is said to want to pace herself during her milestone celebrations, with her daughter the Princess Royal representing her at the racecourse instead, The Sunday Times reported.
The Derby on Saturday June 4 was to be a personal highlight for the Queen during the four days of Jubilee festivities.
The head of state, a passionate horse owner and breeder, was due to be greeted on the course with a special guard of honour including up to 40 of her past and present jockeys.
But the newspaper revealed the monarch is now 'increasingly unlikely' to head to Epsom. However the Queen will still have a runner - Just Fine, in the penultimate race of the afternoon.
Lilibet's birthday
Saturday is also the first birthday of Harry and Meghan's daughter Lilibet, amid speculation the youngster could spend the day with her namesake great-grandmother.
The Sussexes are flying over from the US with Lili, who has never met the Queen in person before, and her older brother Archie.
It could be the first time Harry and Meghan have been seen alongside the Windsor clan since Megxit and since they accused an unnamed senior royal of racism during their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview.
Party At The Palace (from 7.30pm)
In the evening, the BBC's Party at the Palace – set on three stages in front of Buckingham Palace – will entertain a live crowd of 22,000 people and a television audience of millions.
The line-up includes Diana Ross, Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Nile Rodgers, Andrea Bocelli, Duran Duran, Bond composer Hans Zimmer, Ella Eyre, Craig David, Mabel, Elbow and George Ezra.
The show will also feature appearances from stars including Sir David Attenborough, Emma Raducanu, David Beckham, Stephen Fry and Dame Julie Andrews.
Charles and William are preparing to deliver public tributes at the concert to the Queen, who will be watching on television from Windsor.
SUNDAY
Big Jubilee Lunch
Millions of people are expected to sit down with their neighbours at street parties, picnics and barbecues, with more than 200,000 Big Jubilee Lunches being held across the UK on the Sunday afternoon,
Camilla, patron of the Big Lunch, will join Charles at a flagship feast at The Oval cricket ground in south London, while the Earl and Countess of Wessex will meet people creating the 'Long Table' down on The Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle.
The celebration also coincides with this year's Thank You Day – originally set up to pay tribute to those who helped people through the pandemic.
Celebrities Ross Kemp, Gareth Southgate, Prue Leith and Ellie Simmonds have urged people to throw the biggest thank you party for the Queen.
The Platinum Pudding, Scotch eggs and fruit platters will feature on a six-metre felt creation by artist Lucy Sparrow which is to be viewed by Charles and Camilla at The Oval. It will be given pride of place in the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace later this year.
Members of the local community, 70 volunteers who have been recognised as Platinum Champions through the Royal Voluntary Service's Platinum Champions Awards, celebrity ambassadors and various charity representatives will be among the guests at the cricket ground.
The royal couple will also present the Platinum Champions with certificates and pins, before cutting a Big Jubilee Lunch cake.
More than 600 international Big Jubilee Lunches are being planned throughout the Commonwealth and beyond - from Canada to Brazil, New Zealand to Japan and South Africa to Switzerland.
Edward and Sophie will join Berkshire residents for their special lunch on the Long Walk, not far from Windsor Castle.
The Long Walk is being reinvented to create 'the Long Table' in celebration of the jubilee. This royal pair are also set to meet groups of street performers.
Charles and Camilla will also celebrate with the residents of Albert Square in an EastEnders special. They will be seen attending a Big Lunch in a June 2 episode of the BBC soap.
The Big Lunch is an annual event aimed at celebrating community connections.
Jubilee Pageant (from 2.30pm)
The finale on June 5 is the Jubilee Pageant through the streets of London.
Set to be watched by up to a billion people across the globe, more than 10,000 people have been involved in staging the £15million procession.
Puppet corgis, a giant 3D wire bust of the Queen and the Gold State Coach are just some of the sights set to feature in the 1.8-mile (3km) parade.
Stars including Idris Elba, Sir Cliff Richard, Courtney Love and Slade's Noddy Holder will take to open-top buses in a through-the-ages tribute to the culture and music of the 70 years of the Queen's reign.
A peloton of 300 cyclists, riding vintage bikes from across the seven decades of her reign, is to travel down The Mall led by Sir Chris Hoy and cycling golden couple Dame Laura and Sir Jason Kenny.
Olympic champions Sir Chris, Dame Laura and Sir Jason will be among six 'hero cyclists' who race towards Buckingham Palace ready to complete a 360-degree circuit of the Queen Victoria Memorial on Sunday.
Some 205 vehicles will appear as part of the parade, including 11 Morris Minors, seven Land Rovers, 20 vintage Minis including one in the shape of an Outspan Orange and seven original James Bond vehicles.
How the Queen's Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees saw millions of Britons party in celebration
Over the decades, the Queen's jubilees have been colourful displays of pageantry, parties and pop concerts, giving the nation the chance to unite in celebration of the monarch and her years of service.
From the flag-festooned street jamborees of 1977 to the star-studded televised concert of 2002 and the river extravaganza of 2012, the Queen's Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees have been important milestones during her reign.
Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to celebrate their Platinum Jubilee - marking 70 years on the throne. Here is a look back at the Queen's past jubilees:
- Silver Jubilee in 1977
The Queen's first jubilee saw her travel 56,000 miles around the world in celebration, journeying from Western Samoa, Australia and New Zealand to Tonga, Fiji, Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, Canada and the West Indies.
Large crowds also turned out to see her on a busy UK tour when she visited 36 counties over 10 weeks to mark 25 years on the throne. Street parties were held across the country and beacons were lit in her honour.
More than one million flocked to the Mall in London and the Queen travelled in a state coach with the Duke of Edinburgh to St Paul's Cathedral for a service of thanksgiving.
At a Guildhall luncheon, the Queen reiterated the dedication she made at the age of 21 when she pledged to serve her country for life.
There was a River Progress of 140 vessels down the Thames, the opening of the Silver Jubilee Walkway and South Bank Jubilee Gardens, firework displays and a Palace balcony appearance.
The year 1977 saw the Lib-Lab pact, the Grunwick picket clashes, punk rock and Red Rum winning the Grand National for a record third time.
The Queen, at the age of 51, became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of grandson Peter Phillips.
The Sex Pistols released their anti-authoritarian hit God Save The Queen which was banned from the airwaves. They promoted it on their own Jubilee boat trip along the Thames which ended in their arrest.
1977 -- People mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee in the UK in 1977 in Salford in one of 12,000 parties held for her that year
- Ruby Jubilee in 1992
This was the year of the Queen's 40th anniversary on the throne - but it is better known as her 'annus horribilis' - one of the most difficult periods of her reign.
That year, the marriages of three of her four children were in tatters. The Princess Royal divorced, the Duke and Duchess of York separated and the Prince and Princess of Wales were splitting up.
Andrew Morton's book, Diana: Her True Story, alleged that Diana was deeply unhappy and had attempted suicide.
Then came a devastating fire at Windsor Castle. Public opinion turned against the royals amid fears that taxpayers would have to foot the bill. The Queen announced that she would pay tax on her income and cut down the size of the Civil List.
In an unusually personal address at a London Guildhall luncheon in November 1992 to mark her 40th year on the throne, the Queen told guests: '1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.'
She added: 'In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an 'annus horribilis'.'
Commemorations for this jubilee were low key. In October 1992, the Queen and her family attended the 'Great Event' - a televised evening of performances at London's Earl's Court, and in the summer there was a prime ministerial banquet.
It was also the year of Black Wednesday - the day Britain crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism - and the break-up of Yugoslavia.
- Golden Jubilee in 2002
Just like the Silver Jubilee, people crowded into the Mall and the monarch toured Britain and the Commonwealth. But there was major difference - the Party at the Palace.
In 2002, more than 12,000 people won tickets to watch an unprecedented pop concert inside the grounds of Buckingham Palace for the Queen's 50th anniversary.
Highlights included guitarist Brian May blasting out a rock National Anthem from the roof, Sir Paul McCartney leading the cast of stars with The Beatles' classic Hey Jude, and Dame Edna Everage bellowing 'The Jubilee Girl is here, possums,' as the 76-year-old Queen took her seat.
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to his mother on stage, calling her 'Mummy', and there was a finale of fireworks and a light show over the Palace.
The year had begun with great sadness for the Queen with the deaths of her sister Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, but despite doubters insisting the Golden Jubilee would be a flop, the event was heralded a success.
2002 -- A Golden Jubilee street party in Liverpool in 2002 as families celebrate the Queen's long reign
- Diamond Jubilee in 2012
The Queen is only the second British monarch to reach a Diamond Jubilee - following in the footsteps of her ancestor Queen Victoria. The Windsors were enjoying a surge of interest after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding.
But for most of the festivities held in June to mark the head of state's 60 years on the throne, the Queen was forced to celebrate without Philip at her side. The duke was taken to hospital with a bladder infection after enduring a wet and windy trip down the Thames during the Diamond Jubilee River Pageant.
More than 1,000 boats including kayaks, Dunkirk ships and dragon boats had taken part, and the Queen, the duke and senior royals travelled on an ornate royal barge, watched by more than 1.25 million spectators who lined the river banks despite the rain.
The Queen also opened up the Palace gardens to thousands of picnickers, who were presented with special Jubilee hampers. A pop concert - staged because of the success of the Golden Jubilee show - was held in front of the Palace as well-wishers descended on the Mall once again.
Take That's Gary Barlow brought in acts such as Stevie Wonder, Kylie Minogue, and a hula-hooping Grace Jones dressed in a PVC leotard. But Philip missed both the concert and a service of thanksgiving.
During the Silver Jubilee, the Queen circled the globe. But this time the sovereign had turned 86 and such duties fell to the younger generation of royals.
The year also saw London host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and William and Kate announced they were expecting their first child.
2012 -- A Diamond Jubilee party is held in Kensington, West London, on June 4, 2012 as people celebrate ten years ago
- Sapphire Jubilee - 2017
The Queen made history as the first British monarch to reach 65 years on the throne - a Blue Sapphire Jubilee. But there were no grand festivities, with celebrations reserved for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, and she spent the day privately at Sandringham.
Buckingham Palace reissued a David Bailey photograph of the Queen to mark the occasion. She wore a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by her father George VI as a wedding gift.
Then-prime minister Theresa May hailed the Queen as 'truly an inspiration to all of us', and celebratory stamps and coins were issued.
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Queen's Platinum Jubilee 2022: Trooping The Colour in London
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