The Platinum Jubilee celebrations began in style on Thursday, with the Trooping the Colour and an RAF flypast followed by a nationwide beacon lighting.
For many people, though, the highlight of Thursday would simply have been getting a day off through the bank holiday – and the good news is that there’s another one on Friday.
It means that many people will get a full four-day weekend to enjoy the festivities, but there might be some disruption too.
Postal services, the collection of bins and banks are all affected, while anyone who needs to pop to the supermarket might experience slightly different opening hours – here’s everything you need to know.
What time are shops open today?
The opening times across the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend for major supermarkets are as follows:
Aldi
Aldi says that on Thursday 2 June, stores are open from 8am to 10pm. On Friday, the hours are again 8am to 10pm, and the same on Saturday. On Sunday, stores will open later, at 10am, and close earlier at 4pm.
However, it advises that opening hours may vary, so check your local store’s opening hours here.
Asda
The hours for individual stores may vary, however, based on previous bank holidays it is likely some Asda stores could open from 8am instead of 7am and close at 8pm instead of 10pm or midnight on the bank holidays.
You can check the hours of your local store here.
Lidl
Lidl advises that opening times will vary from store to store across the bank holiday weekend.
It encourages customers to check the opening times of their nearest store using the store locator here.
Morrisons
Morrisons stores should have regular bank holiday opening hours on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June, between 7am and 8pm. They will return to normal opening hours on Saturday.
Hours could vary from store-to-store, so check your local here.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s stores will most likely to open between 7am and 9pm during the bank holidays, a reduction in normal hours.
As the opening hours vary, check the store locator for the latest details.
Tesco
Tesco’s opening hours on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 June will vary from store to store Customers are advised to check the opening times of their local store here.
Stores will most likely opening at normal times, but close earlier at 8pm.
Waitrose & Partners
The majority of Waitrose stores will open from 8am to 6am, with some opening later, during the Jubilee bank holidays.
The retailer advises customers to check the Waitrose website for local store opening times.
When are the main Platinum Jubilee celebrations?
Thursday June 2
- 10am – The Queen’s Birthday Parade, Trooping the Colour, begins.
- 10.30am – Members of the royal family leave Buckingham Palace for the parade ground. The military spectacle will be followed by a balcony appearance by the Queen, it is hoped, plus key royals including the Cambridge children, to watch the RAF flypast.
- 9.25pm – Members of the royal family arrive to watch the lighting of the principal beacon at the palace – a 21-metre tall Tree of Trees sculpture.
Friday June 3
- 11am – The royal family begin to arrive at the service of thanksgiving in St Paul’s Cathedral.
- 12.25pm – Members of the royal family afterwards attend a Guildhall reception hosted by the Lord Mayor.
Saturday June 4
- 5.30pm – The Epsom Derby race takes place. The Queen and her family are expected to head to the racecourse on Derby Day, where the monarch is due to be greeted with a guard of honour.
- 7.40pm – Members of the royal family arrive at the BBC’s Platinum Party at the Palace concert.
- 8pm-10.30pm – The open-air concert in front of the palace – featuring stars including Queen + Adam Lambert, Alicia Keys, Duran Duran and Diana Ross – is broadcast live on BBC One.
Sunday June 5
- Street parties and Big Jubilee Lunches are staged across the country throughout Sunday.
- 2.30pm-5pm – The Jubilee Pageant takes place in central London, with a 3km carnival procession featuring a cast of thousands including puppets, celebrities and tributes to the seven decades of the Queen’s reign. It will move down The Mall and past the palace, with the finale featuring a performance by Ed Sheeran and the singing of the national anthem.
Additional reporting from Press Association