Wales is to get an extra long Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate the Queen’s 70th anniversary in 2022.
The May Bank Holiday Weekend will be moved to Thursday June 2 with an additional day off scheduled for Friday, June 3 to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee - the first time any British monarch has reached such a historic milestone.
According to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the special four-day weekend is set to include a packed schedule of events across all the UK's major cities, "reflecting on the monarch’s reign, and her impact on the UK and the world since 1952".
Dubbed a "once-in-a-generation show," it's intended to showcase the best of "British ceremonial splendour and pageantry with c.utting-edge artistic and technological displays."
Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch on September 9, 2015 when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria.
On February 6, 2017 she became the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, commemorating 65 years on the throne.
In keeping with the long-held royal tradition, commemorative medals will also be awarded in 2022 to those people who work in public service, including representatives of the Armed Forces, the emergency services and the prison services.
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"Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will be a truly historic moment - and one that deserves a celebration to remember," added Dowden.
"We can all look forward to a special, four-day Jubilee weekend, when we will put on a spectacular, once-in-a-generation show that mixes the best of British ceremonial splendour with cutting edge art and technology.
"It will bring the entire nation and the Commonwealth together in a fitting tribute to Her Majesty’s reign."
