24 Jan - 23 Dec 2022
24 Jan - 23 Dec 2022

Final Call to help form the longest chain of beacons in the UK.

Organisers are reaching out to the communities of Hadrian’s Wall to get involved in what will be the final Jubilee celebration for Queen Elizabeth II  on the 2nd June 2022

The Platinum Jubilee Beacons is the first community event of the four-day Jubilee Weekend, 2nd-5th June 2022. Celebration beacons will be lit in villages, towns and cities across the UK and Commonwealth. 

The Pageantmaster has approached Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site to deliver his vision of Hadrian’s Wall, in its 1900th year, as a key location for the lighting of beacons on that night. Beacons will be lit across the communities of Hadrian’s Wall to form the longest chain of beacons in the UK.

Beacon events can be organised by local authorities, visitor destinations, community groups and private individuals. Events are already being planned in locations across the whole of Hadrian’s Wall Country, from Sandhaven Beach in South Shields in the east to Muncaster Castle in Copeland in the west. 

Each event will have its own unique local flavour and each will culminate in the lighting of a beacon. There are elements of the celebrations that will be delivered in unison with the rest of the UK, but the Wall will also stand unique apart, having been granted special dispensation to light its beacons fifteen minutes after the rest of the UK. 

Jez Light from The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons team said

“There’s still time to get involved with lighting a Beacon in your community it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated and its really is the last chance to do something like this”

Thousands of town criers, along with Pearly Kings and Queens, traditional and Northumberland pipers, buglers and choirs from communities across the four corners of the nation and the Commonwealth will lift up their voices and play and sing specially commissioned music prior to the lighting of over 2022 Platinum Jubilee Beacons, on Thursday 2nd June 2022.

  • At 2pm hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially written Proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons later that evening.
  • At 9.35pm local time across the UK and Commonwealth, traditional and Northumbrian pipers and pipe bands will play Diu Regnare, a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world’s leading piper.
  • At 9.40pm buglers linked to local beacon lightings across the UK and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, entitled Majesty.
  • Then at 9.45pm exactly local time, and to coincide with the lighting of the beacons, community choirs across all nations will sing Song for the Commonwealth, which has been written and composed by Lucy Keily, from Australia and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu from Nigeria. 
  • At 10.00pm local time, by special dispensation, beacons will be lit across the communities of Hadrian’s Wall, which is celebrating its 1900th anniversary this year. This will form the longest chain of beacons in the UK.

Jane, Lady Gibson ,Chair, Hadrian’s Wall WHS Partnership Board said

“The Hadrian’s Wall Partnership Board members are thrilled that we have been given the unique privilege of lighting our beacons at 10pm. Recognising the service of Her Majesty the Queen in this way honours the communities of Hadrian’s Wall and the World Heritage Site and highlights the special nature of our places and people from cities to towns to villages to settlements.”

Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons, said: 

“Building on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations, over 2022 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be lit across the UK and Commonwealth on the first evening of the four-day Jubilee Weekend (on Thursday 2nd June 2022). The Beacons will enable local communities to join together and pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events and we are really excited to see Hadrian’s Wall become the longest chain of beacons in UK!

Media Requests; carapringle@live.com 07595833636

Images here

ENDS 

Notes to Editors: 

  1. Details of the music which will feature on the night, and a list of all those taking part, is available from the Guide to Taking Part at www.queensjubileebeacons.com
  2. Details of Hadrian’s Wall Beacons can be found  https://www.hadrianswalljubileebeacons.co.uk/ 

To get involved please contact Jez Light at jubileebeacons@gmail.com 

  • Images of the Diamond Jubilee Beacons in 2012 are available from Getty and PA, including a Beacon lit at Westminster Abbey and the Principal Beacon at Buckingham Palace.
  • To contact Bruno Peek, the Pageantmaster, please e-mail brunopeek@mac.com or phone 07737 262 913.
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