How to celebrate the queen’s platinum jubilee​

If you can’t attend the celebrations in early June, don’t fret. By visiting at a quieter time, you’ll avoid the biggest crowds and be able to take in additional Platinum Jubilee exhibitions

in and around London. However, you’ll still generally need to book tickets well in advance. If you plan to take in an array of London’s landmarks and attractions, Visit London and Visit

Britain offer a selection of sightseeing passes. LIFE THROUGH A ROYAL LENS (THROUGH OCT 30): At Kensington Palace, peruse images of the royal family from the 19th century through the

present, including Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their daughter, Princess Victoria, on her wedding day; Cecil Beaton’s vibrant coronation portrait of Queen Elizabeth II; and intimate

family moments captured by Lord Snowdon, the husband of Queen Elizabeth’s sister, Princess Margaret. Included with a palace ticket($27 for adults, $22 for adults 65 and older). A GALLOP

THROUGH HISTORY AT WINDSOR CASTLE (MAY 12-15): The old showbiz adage “Never work with children or animals” clearly does not apply to this Platinum Jubilee equestrian celebration, held on

Windsor Castle’s private grounds. Be entertained by more than 500 horses and 1,000 performers as they transport the audience on a journey spanning four and a half centuries, from the reign

of Elizabeth I to that of Elizabeth II. The 90-minute spectacle is sold out, but it will be televised by ITV on May 15. You can still snare tickets to the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which

will take place earlier in the day in the same venue and feature categories like show jumping, dressage, endurance and carriage driving ($34 for adults, $24.50 for adults over 65). 

SUPERBLOOM AT THE TOWER OF LONDON (JUNE 1-SEPT 18): To commemorate the Jubilee, the Tower’s former 13th-century moat will be transformed into a bloomin’ beauty, with more than 20 million

seeds bursting into blossom. You can admire the floral display for free from a public viewing platform, although you’ll still need a timed ticket. For a fee ($15 for adults, $11 for adults

65 and older), you can meander along a winding footpath through the moat, perhaps even opting to make a splash (figuratively speaking) by entering via a giant slide — although organizers

stress there will be a more traditional entrance as well. Make a day of it by combining moat access with entry to the Tower complex, where highlights include the Crown Jewels; the White

Tower, with its imposing displays of armor; and entertaining tours by the Tower guards, the “Beefeaters.”(Entry to both: $47.50 for adults, $40.50 adults 65 and older) THE QUEEN’S ACCESSION 

AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE (JULY 22-OCT. 2): Admire the fresh-faced beauty of the young Elizabeth in Dorothy Wilding’s 1950s portraits, which many will recognize from the queen’s image emblazoned

on mid-20th-century postage stamps and displayed at British embassies around the world. The photos will be featured alongside a selection of the queen’s jewelry, including a diamond tiara

that her grandmother, Queen Mary, gave her when she wed Prince Philip on Nov. 20, 1947. Entry is included with a ticket ($41) to Buckingham Palace State Rooms. For an additional $19, you can

also ogle the elaborately carved and gilded carriages in the palace’s Royal Mews (May 19–Oct. 2).   THE QUEEN’S CORONATION AT WINDSOR CASTLE (JULY 7-SEPT. 26): Marvel at the elaborate gold

and silver embroidery adorning the white satin gown the queen wore at her 1953 coronation beneath the velvet, ermine-trimmed Robe of Estate, also on display. Exhibition access is included

with entry to Windsor Castle (adults from $36), featuring the magnificent State Apartments and 15th-century St. George’s Chapel. WHERE TO STAY AND DINE Inexpensive accommodations will be few

and far between in London over the Platinum Jubilee June weekend, with many hotels already sold out. If you spot a room deal that seems too good to be true, read the fine print. Is it in a

desirable location? Does it have an en suite bathroom? Does it have a window? Is it even big enough to accommodate a Chihuahua, much less a full-sized human or two? If you’re looking for a

bargain, it’s best not to visit in early June. Here are some suggestions in different neighborhoods.  PROXIMITY FOR A PRICE: If you want to be at the center of the action for the Platinum

Jubilee June weekend, you can’t get much closer than The Rubens at the Palace, overlooking the Royal Mews entrance to Buckingham Palace; or The Goring, which borders the palace and is the

only hotel to hold a Royal Warrant. Even if you don’t snag a room at these posh, pedigreed hotels, you can still enjoy their afternoon tea or other Platinum Jubilee dining experiences. The

Michelin-starred Dining Room at the Goring is offering a menu inspired by dishes served during the 1953 coronation, and the Rubens will host several Jubilee events June 2-4, including a

seven-course dinner featuring the queen’s personal bagpiper ($400 per person) and a 1950s-themed “street party” in the hotel’s New York Bar ($204 per person). A big caveat: To be in such

intimate proximity to the palace in June will set you back a bundle. Doubles start at $470 at the Rubens and $960 at the Goring, which is also offering a Platinum Jubilee package for $1,180

per night, including two nights’ accommodation, full English breakfast each morning, the Jubilee Bollinger Afternoon Tea for two, two Jubilee Fizz cocktails with canapés, and a three-course

dinner for two from a set menu in The Dining Room with champagne and petits fours.