Thursday, June 2 marks the start of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, a four-day celebratory event marking 70 years since Queen Elizabeth took the throne—the only British monarch ever to do so. Royal watchers will be familiar with the Queen's annual birthday parade, Trooping the Colour—not to be confused with private celebrations for the Queen's actual birthday two months earlier—as well as royal photo ops of the senior royal family on the Buckingham Palace balcony on momentous occasions. The 2022 Platinum Jubilee will include all of that, and then some—so you're probably wondering exactly how you can watch the Jubilee events from the U.S.
ABC News has partnered with the BBC to be the Jubilee's primary partner, so your best bet is to turn on ABC and its affiliates, especially for the bigger Jubilee events (more details on those below). That said, your options change depending on the scale of the event. If you want to watch every single event and you're feeling tech-savvy, you can download a VPN, which essentially tricks British streamers into thinking that you're based in the U.K. But for most of the Jubilee events, you should be able to watch without needing one. Without further ado:
How to Watch Trooping the Colour
The first formal event of the Platinum Jubilee is Trooping the Colour, an annual parade on Thursday morning marking the Queen's birthday. (Again, the Queen's actual birthday is two months earlier, in April, but her public birthday celebrations are held in the summer.) The parade has been cancelled the past two years due to COVID-19 restrictions, so this Trooping the Colour will be special in more way than one. Each Trooping the Colour culminates in a royal photo op on the balcony.
- Watch Trooping the Colour live on Sky News' YouTube channel from 5 a.m. ET
- You can also watch live Trooping the Colour coverage on major U.S. networks including ABC and NBC
How to Watch Platinum Beacons: Lighting Up the Jubilee
Another annual birthday celebration that's even bigger and better for the 2022 Platinum Jubilee, Lighting Up the Jubilee will feature 1,500 beacons being lit up in the U.K. and in Commonwealth countries and will air Thursday evening.
- Watch Platinum Beacons: Lighting up the Jubilee on ABC News at 5 p.m. ET
How to Watch the National Service of Thanksgiving
The National Service of Thanksgiving is a big deal in 2022—it's the first royal event that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have participated in since sensationally stepping away from the royal family in early 2020. It'll be held Friday morning in St. Paul's Cathedral.
- You can try to watch The National Service of Thanksgiving on BBC One, airing at 4.15 a.m. ET, via BritBox or BBC Select. (Note: You may have to wait a little while for it to hit the streaming services.)
How to Watch the Platinum Party at the Palace
One of the flagship events of the Platinum Jubilee, the Platinum Party will start on Saturday afternoon and feature performances from Queen (no, not that one) and Adam Lambert, Rod Stewart, Duran Duran, Andrea Bocelli, Elton John, Diana Ross. Also slated to appear or perform are Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Attenborough, David Beckham, Alicia Keys, Stephen Fry, and Julie Andrews. (Whew.)
- Watch the Platinum Party at the Palace on ABC News at 2.30 p.m. ET and on Hulu on Sunday
How to Watch the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Pageant
On Sunday, we have the Platinum Pageant, starting first thing Sunday morning. This series of performances will be themed around the Queen's 70 years on the throne and include professional performers, the military, volunteers, and more.
- You can try to watch The Platinum Jubilee Pageant on BBC One, airing at 9 a.m. ET, via BritBox or BBC Select. (Note: You may have to wait a little while for it to hit the streaming services.)
If you're struggling with any of the above, try Sky News' YouTube channel, which—unlike the BBC—isn't blocked for U.S. residents.
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