Royal Celebration Weekend

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31 January 2012
Gosh, what an exciting few days we've got coming up as Greenwich celebrates its shiny, new Royal status this coming weekend with fireworks, outdoor entertainment and a grand parade. Greenwich has even got a new Royal crest for the occasion - look!

The declaration of Royal Borough status for Greenwich is one of the first actions to mark the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and comes into effect on 3 February 2012 when Woolwich kicks off the weekend with a firework finale to a celebration party in the town centre.

Nearby Eltham, also a part of what will be the Royal Borough of Greenwich, gets in on the act on Saturday with a full day of events and jollity, culminating in some more oohs and aahs as the fireworks get under way again.

Sunday night sees a spectacular closing event in our own World Heritage Site with outdoor entertainment, a grand parade and an even more spectacular skyfull of fireworks. The Grand Royal Parade will be snaking its way through Greenwich town centre at 5.30pm, filled with lanterns, golden carriages and about a thousand, willing walkers, carriers and wheelers. Starting at the National Maritime Museum the golden carriaged, lantern-led throng will eventually fetch up in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College for a splendid riverside denouement.

The award of Royal status recognises the historically close links forged between Greenwich and the royal family from the Middle Ages to the present day. It also recognises Greenwich's global significance as the home of the Prime Meridian, Greenwich Mean Time and its status as a World Heritage Site. Greenwich joins the three existing Royal Boroughs - Kensington & Chelsea, Windsor & Maidenhead and Kingston.

So come along in your best red, white and blue and hip hip hoorah with the best of them this weekend when Greenwich gets the bubbly out.

Find out more about the Royal crest here and check the times for this weekend's events here.

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Visit Greenwich is the official tourism information guide to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Find out more about us here.

Greenwich Events Calendar

With The O2, Greenwich Theatre, Greenwich Dance, Up the Creek, Blackheath Halls, Olivers Music Bar and a stack of free concerts in St Alfege church, Greenwich is one of London's entertainment hotspots. Check our Events Calendar for details of every performance including when, where and what it'll cost.