Jubilee - live: Platinum Party at the Palace begins with surprise sketch of the Queen and Paddington

The Royal Mint has created a 15kg gold coin in celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The special coin, which is the largest to ever be produced in the mint’s 1,100-year history, has a diameter of 220cm.

Saman Javed reports:

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed they will be attending Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations along with their two children this month.

The scheduled June visit to the UK will mark the first time the 96-year-old monarch has met the couple’s daughter, Lilibet Diana, 11 months.

But where will the Sussexes stay when they are here? Chelsea Ritschel investigates:

With the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending the Queen’s platinum jubilee celebrations next week, you may be wondering which events they will be present for.

My colleague Saman Javed has the answers:

To celebrate Her Majesty’s milestone, Buckingham Palace has released 70 facts about the Queen to celebrate her seven-decade reign.

From becoming the longest-reigning monarch in British history, to her first trip on the London Underground, and details from her wedding to Prince Philip, here are some things you might not know about Queen Elizabeth II.

Nothing says “70 years on the throne” quite like “Salad Queen” and “LamQueenie”, among countless other jubilee specials that have emerged to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign – the longest of any British monarch.

With the Queen’s big platinum jubilee weekend drawing ever closer, brands have released a plethora of royal-themed food and drink products to mark Her Majesty’s historic milestone. We’ve rounded them all up for your jubilee feasting needs:

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have rejoined the royal family at Madame Tussauds to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

Waxwork figures of the main family members have received a black tie makeover in preparation for the event marking the monarch’s 70-year reign on 5 June.

The reunion at the London attraction brings the Sussexes back together publicly with the family for the first time since their move to the US in 2020.

Meghan’s waxwork has been dressed in a red, caped Safiyaa gown, which she wore on one of her last royal engagements at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at the Royal Albert Hall in London in March 2020.

The Queen’s waxwork, which is the 23rd of 24 created of the monarch by Madame Tussauds London across her 70-year reign, has been dressed in a recreation of the garment she wore in her official Diamond Jubilee portrait.

The white and silver lace dress is covered in 53,000 Swarovski elements, completed with a blue silk sash and topped off by a replica of the diamond and pearl George IV State Diadem.

Royal fans can also view the Royal Dress Collection that will be on display at Madame Tussauds London from 27 May, showcasing seven gowns that have graced some of the Queen’s 24 figures created during her 70-year reign.

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A tree-like structure measuring 70-feet high, with 350 native British trees adorning its “branches”, has been erected outside Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s platinum jubilee.

The huge sculpture was completed on Tuesday. It was designed by architect and designer Thomas Heatherwick, who said Her Majesty herself gave approval for the plans with a “big thumbs up”.

To help complete the sculpture, junior foresters visited the palace and planted a batch of six-foot saplings in pots that had the monarch’s cypher embossed on them.

They also helped weave LED lights through the structure, which will serve as the principal beacon on the first evening of the bank holiday weekend.

A massive team of hundreds of welders, arborists, engineers and fabricators have been working on the project, which Heatherwick said he designed in just one week.

Heatherwick told ITV News: “This sculpture acts like a beacon sending one simple, eternal message that trees are the superheroes of our towns and cities and matter much more to our lives than we realise.

“We need reminding [of] how much trees humanise the world around us and they can’t be taken for granted.

“The tree twists and spirals symbolically spraying an array of 350 baby trees towards their final homes across the country - a symbol of the much bigget initiative of planting.”

The platinum jubilee weekend will be packed with deals and discounts from food and drink retailers across the country.

From 25 per cent off instant grocery delivery to a competition where £500 vouchers are up for grabs, we’ve rounded up all the offers you could benefit from as the bank holiday approaches.

That’s a wrap on our live coverage of the Queen and the royal family today. See you tomorrow, when we return to bring you further updates on the platinum jubilee weekend.

Good morning, and welcome once again to our liveblog following all the latest updates on the Queen and members of the royal family as the platinum jubilee weekend approaches.