To mark the start of her Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth hosted a special reception at the Sandringham House ballroom where she entertained friends and family.
Royal party time! Queen Elizabeth is gearing up for her big 70th Accession Day on Sunday (February 6) by celebrating a little early! In her first outing of 2022, the Queen, who will make history as the first British monarch to mark a Platinum Jubilee with 70 years on the throne, threw a special reception on Saturday (February 5) at the Sandringham House ballroom. Among the guests were family, representatives of local charities and members of the Women’s Institute, which the Queen has been involved with since 1943.
Another special guest of the lively event was Angela Wood, who was one of the local cooks who helped create the original recipe for the famous Coronation Chicken dish, which was presented to Buckingham Palace when Queen Elizabeth was crowned in 1953. According to statements from the palace, Angela and Queen Elizabeth chatted extensively at the soiree about Angela developing the fan-favorite formula. Speaking of special recipes, last month the monarchy announced a baking competition for the United Kingdom to come up with a new pudding that will be named after Queen Elizabeth in honor of her Platinum Jubilee!
During the Queen’s Sandringham House gala, her majesty was presented with gifts including a special cake that was decorated with the emblem of the Platinum Jubilee. Before cutting the cake, the Queen joked that the emblem was upside down, saying the media got to look at it correctly. “They can see it,” she quipped in a video, per the Daily Mail. “I don’t mind, well I think I can probably read it upside down.” As she began to cut into the cake, her majesty again showed off her sense of humor, stating, “‘I think I might just put the knife in it. Someone else can do the rest.”
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth actually took place more than a year after she became the monarch following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952. The official date is June 2, 1953, and to celebrate it, a weekend of festivities is planned for the kingdom this year. Beginning on June 2, events will include Trooping the Colour, the lighting of Platinum Jubilee beacons, a service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Derby at Epsom Downs, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
