The preparations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee are underway - and four Suffolk towns have been chosen to light beacons in her honour.

A four-day bank holiday weekend will celebrate the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II in June 2022 and will be opened with the traditional beacons used for royal jubilees, weddings and coronations.

Sudbury Mercury: Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate 70 years on the throne in June 2022Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate 70 years on the throne in June 2022 (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

There will be 1,500 lit across the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and overseas UK territories — and one in each capital city in Commonwealth countries.

Four Suffolk locations have been chosen to host beacons - St Mary's Church in Haverhill, Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket Recreation Ground and Framlingham Castle.

Sudbury Mercury: A beacon will be lit in Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds next summer for the Platinum JubileeA beacon will be lit in Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds next summer for the Platinum Jubilee (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The celebrations will begin at 1pm on June 2, with town criers undertaking the proclamation.

They will also announce the beacon lighting, which will commence at 9.09pm as the sun sets.

The town criers for Suffolk are Brenda Wilson for Newmarket and Martin Payne for Bungay.

No other monarch has achieved such a long reign and the beacons are to enable local communities, individuals and organisations to pay tribute to her for her "long and selfless service".

Sudbury Mercury: A beacon will be lit at Stowmarket Recreation Ground next summer for the Platinum JubileeA beacon will be lit at Stowmarket Recreation Ground next summer for the Platinum Jubilee (Image: Matt Reason)

Other events planned across the bank holiday include the Queen attending the Epsom Derby on June 4 and a special Platinum Party broadcast from Buckingham Palace that evening.

There will also be a birthday parade and thanksgiving service, while on Sunday, June 5, people will be invited to take part in the Big Jubilee Lunch, by staging street parties.

Sudbury Mercury: A beacon will be lit at Framlingham Castle next summer for the Platinum JubileeA beacon will be lit at Framlingham Castle next summer for the Platinum Jubilee (Image: BARRY PULLEN/IWITNESS)

There are three types of beacons being lit on the historic occasion:

  1. A free-standing beacon fuelled by bottle gas
  2. A beacon brazier with a metal shield
  3. A bonfire beacon

Copies of the guide to organising a beacon lighting can be obtained by e-mailing brunopeek@mac.com