Diamond Jubilee celebrations double those for royal wedding
Party fever is set to hit the UK this June with more than twice as many Brits celebrating Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee as those who marked the royal wedding.
One in ten are planning to throw a party and almost half the nation (47%) will be downing tools to recognise the Jubilee (compared to the 20% who celebrated the Royal Wedding last year), according to new research by drinks brand Schweppes.
And it seems our British pride has tripled in the ten years since the Golden Jubilee, which was celebrated by less than one in five people – that's just 17% of the nation.
One in three Brits say they are very excited about ‘marking a moment in British history' (28%). A further 25% are excited to be celebrating The Queen's 60 year reign and many of us (23%) are also looking forward to the extra day off.
To celebrate these hard-working party hosts up and down the country, Schweppes is launching a competition at schweppesjubilee.co.uk, to find the nation's social monarchs: the social kings and queens of the UK who love to entertain and are planning to celebrate the Jubilee in style.
Royal wedding photographer Hugo Burnand, who is leading the search for the nation's social monarchs, comments: "Royal occasions are always great fun to enjoy with family and friends and it's wonderful to see so many Brits getting into the party spirit this year and planning a Royal knees-up. With the Jubilee and a summer of sport, we will no doubt see a swell in British pride with our numerous British quirks being showcased in all their splendour!"
It seems that for those throwing a royal bash, party planning is no mean feat: the average party host will spend up to six weeks preparing and planning the perfect event. Research showed that a perfect Jubilee bash should include food relevant to the occasion such as finger sandwiches, Victoria sponge and bread and butter pudding (53% of Brits claimed that this was their top priority).
British tradition is also making a comeback this year: research showed that traditionally British parties include:
Bunting (46% of Brits claimed that this makes a party quintessentially British)
Trifle (37%)
Afternoon tea and cake (33%)
Gin and Tonic and Pimms (32%)
Doilies (19%)
In spite of this royal fervour, a quarter (25%) of 16-24 year olds claim not to know what the Diamond Jubilee is in celebration of, believing that it is either The Queen's 60th Birthday, her wedding anniversary or the presentation of a new diamond crown to Her Majesty The Queen.
Carolin Knottenbeld, Schweppes Brand Activation Manager from Coca-Cola Great Britain, adds: "Schweppes has been the perfect party accompaniment for over 200 years, so we're excited to be working with Polly and Hugo to search for the kings and queens of at-home entertaining. With so many people getting behind this summer's festivities, we can't wait to help Brits put on a proper party to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee."
Are you a dab hand at putting on a great bash? To nominate yourself or a friend as a Social Monarch visit schweppesjubilee.co.uk and be in with a chance of winning a photo shoot with royal wedding photographer Hugo Burnand.