How Royal Sutton Coldfield plans to celebrate The Queen's Jubilee

The Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate 70 years on the throne this week with national Jubilee festivities taking place in June over a four-day holiday weekend.

A royal extravaganza from June 2-5 – with an extra bank holiday – will include Trooping the Colour, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, a visit to the Epsom Derby, a live concert at Buckingham Palace, and street parties and picnics.

And Sutton Coldfield Mayor, Councillor Terry Wood, is urging Royal Town residents to get involved.

He has already launched a scheme with schools andSome 17 schools have already applied for the Mayor’s Challenge funding to celebrate the Jubilee, with plans including platinum picnics, developing a celebration garden and creating Jubilee artwork.

A second initiative, associated with Sutton’s annual “Sutton in Bloom” entry, will see floral colour schemes of red, white and blue around the town, plus some yellow and gold to mark the Commonwealth Games.

A special raised carpet bed of flowers at Vesey Gardens will be installed with enhancements around the town including new willow sculptures.

The mayor confirmed Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council was working with groups and individuals around the unique, tree planting, Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.

There will be other special events announced at the town hall and in the town centre in the weeks to come.

“As a Royal Town, I hope everyone will get involved to celebrate this wonderful achievement,” the mayor said. “I am sure residents will want to get involved and we can have lots of street parties with plenty of food, coloured bunting, flags and flowers.”

“I hope we can all demonstrate our love, loyalty and gratitude to Her Majesty for all her years of service.”

Town council leader Simon Ward said: “As a Royal Town we have an important part to play in the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase Sutton on a number of ways.

"Marking 70 years of service to our country is an astonishing achievement and as a Royal Town we have a special part to play in that.

“Residents will want the council to make sure it’s marked in an appropriate way and it will be.

"Our community will do lots of different things to celebrate, I have no doubt.”

Planned celebrations came as The Queen was photographed working from her red boxes in an image released on the day she passed the historic milestone of 70 years on the throne.

The smiling 95-year-old monarch was pictured with her papers of state on a table in front of her and poignantly nearby is an image of her father King George VI.

Seventy years ago on February 6 the king died and his daughter, aged just 25, became Queen of a nation still recovering from the upheavals of the Second World War.

In a message released to mark her Platinum Jubilee the Queen said: “It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign.

“As we mark this anniversary, it gives me pleasure to renew to you the pledge I gave in 1947 that my life will always be devoted to your service.”

The new photograph shows the Queen working from papers delivered to her in the famous red box – which can been seen in the image.

Every day of every year, wherever she is, the Queen receives from Government ministers and her representatives in the Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet documents, Foreign Office telegrams, a daily summary of events in Parliament, letters and other State papers.

The photograph was taken on Wednesday during the Queen’s stay at her Sandringham estate where she has traditionally spent Accession Day.