Queen's Diamond Jubilee
To mark 60 years of the Queen's reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012. The celebrations will centre around an extended weekend in 2012 on 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th June.
The Queen came to the throne on 6 February 1952 and her coronation took place on 2 June 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.
Buckingham Palace will be co-ordinating a programme of events centred around the extended weekend. This will include a Big Jubilee Lunch, a Diamond Jubilee Pageant, a concert at Buckingham Palace, planting 60 woods and the lighting of 2012 beacons throughout the United Kingdom. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will also attend a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.
In Carrickfergus Borough we have started planning for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and have already started on the Whitehead Diamond Jubilee Wood - see link below for further information.
Free Jubilee Trees from Woodland Trust
Royal Jubilees are always a great excuse for a party. This Jubilee, you can celebrate and have fun with your community in a way that leaves a lasting legacy by planting a free pack of trees from the Woodland Trust. Thousands of groups across the UK have already received free trees from us - apply for yours today for delivery in February, March or November 2012. Designed to help make planting with your local community as easy as possible, the packs are available in two sizes - either 105 trees or 420 trees - and are themed to help you choose the best mix for your local area.
- Wildlife: Blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, birch, rowan, oak
- Year-round colour: Hawthorn, hazel, birch, rowan, cherry, dogwood
- Wood fuel: Ash, birch, cherry, oak, hornbeam
- Wild harvest: Hazel, blackthorn, crab apple, elder, dog rose
All packs also include a special royal sapling, grown from tree seeds collected on royal estates such as Sandringham and Windsor.
