Aith RNLI to light beacon for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Aith RNLI on the western side of Shetland Mainland has announced plans to light a beacon for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on the evening of Thursday 2 June 2022.
The beacon is one of thousands being lit in the UK and the Commonwealth, and forms part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.
The beacon will be lit opposite the lifeboat station at 9.45pm, and it will be one of over 2,022 lit by charities, communities and faith groups all over the UK at exactly the same time. This includes seven RNLI lifeboat stations across the UK and Northern Ireland; Aith, in Scotland, Borth in Wales, Port Erin on the Isle of Man, Portrush in Ireland and Staithes & Runswick, St. Mary’s and Dover in England.
In addition, beacons will be lit in all 54 Commonwealth capitals and the Principal Beacon lighting will take place in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening. This will take the form of a lighting installation with The Queen’s Green Canopy ’Tree of Trees’ sculpture and projections onto the front of Buckingham Palace. This innovative new way of taking part in the beacon lighting will reflect the Royal Family’s long history of ‘championing environmental causes.
Mark Dowie, RNLI Chief Executive says;
‘We are very proud to recognise and celebrate this incredible anniversary in our Patron’s reign. Her Majesty The Queen has so generously been the RNLI’s patron since 1952 and it is only right for us to be part of one of the official events to mark the Platinum Jubilee this year. We have selected seven locations to represent all 238 of the RNLI’s lifeboat stations – one from each of our six lifesaving regions with the seventh being on the Isle of Man, home of our founder Sir William Hillary. The RNLI has chosen the official Jubilee Beacons event as our flagship commemoration for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 and the seven lifeboat stations are extremely honoured to have been selected to celebrate this historic milestone.’
John Robertson, RNLI Coxswain of Aith’s all-weather lifeboat says;
‘We’re honoured to be part of this momentous celebration and to have been chosen to represent the RNLI among the hundreds of other organisations taking part. It will be a very significant moment across the whole weekend of activities to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and its fantastic that Aith, the most northerly lifeboat station, will be part of it.’
Note to Editors
· The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Beacons and Associated Activities have been conceived and organised by Pageantmaster Bruno Peek and his dedicated team. For more details and information on those taking part can be viewed by going to the Guide To Taking Part found at www.queensjubileebeacons.com
· Images of Aith RNLI lighting the beacon at 9.45pm will be available after the event
Timeline for many Beacons lightings, although events might change at individual locations
o At 2pm hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially-written Proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons later that day.
o At 9.35pm local time across the UK and Commonwealth, traditional and Northumbrian pipers and pipe bands will play Diu Regnare, a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world’s leading piper.
o At 9.40pm buglers linked to local beacon lightings across the UK and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, entitled Majesty.
o Then at 9.45pm exactly local time, and to coincide with the lighting of the beacons, community choirs across all nations will sing Song for the Commonwealth, which has been written and composed by Lucy Keily, from Australia and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu from Nigeria.
RNLI media contacts
For more information, please contact
Daniel Lawson, Lifeboat Press Officer for Aith RNLI, [email protected]
Natasha Bennett, RNLI Regional Media Officer for Scotland, 07826 900639, [email protected]
Martin Macnamara, RNLI Regional Media Manager for Scotland, 07920 365929, [email protected]
RNLI Press Office on telephone 01202 336789 or [email protected]
RNLI online
For more information, please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the RNLI News Centre.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates over 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and, in a normal year, more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 142,700 lives.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.