Farmers invited to light beacons for Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Farms and estates are being invited to register to light beacons to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next June.

Seventy beacons across every UK county will be lit on Thursday 2 June 2022 to mark the monarch’s 70-year reign, ahead of a weekend of celebrations.

Farming unions and organisations, including the NFU, NFU Scotland, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Scottish Land and Estates and the Farmers’ Union of Wales, are encouraging farmers and landowners to support the celebrations by setting up and lighting their own beacons.

See also: Opinion: Queen’s jubilee is best excuse to plant more trees

On the night of the celebrations, organisers say more than 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and overseas territories, and one in each capital city of the Commonwealth countries.

Farms and estates who would like to take part and light a beacon must register first.

Pageant master Bruno Peek, of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons, said: “With each beacon representing a year in the life of the Queen’s reign, the involvement of farms and country estates could easily assist us in reaching this target.”

Registered farmers can build a bonfire beacon at farm locations of their choice, along with organising a celebration.

These could be private occasions, which will be listed in a special “one-off” book of beacons that will be given to Her Majesty after the event, in a similar way to what was produced for The Queen’s Diamond and Golden Jubilee Beacons in June 2012 and 2002.

Scarecrow competition

Organisers are also urging participating farms to host a scarecrow competition for the children of farmers, friends and workers.

Those taking part should send in their pictures, with prizes of £500, £350 and £150 on offer for the top three creations.

After the event, farms lighting beacons will be urged to plant a circle of seven trees, with each tree permanently representing each decade of the Queen’s reign, along with helping the sustainability of our planet.

NFU president Minette Batters said: “From the uplands to the lowlands, our farmers will be lighting beacons on the most iconic parts of the countryside in tribute.”

Beacons were lit to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, and to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees, and then in 2016 to celebrate her 90th birthday.