They are the celebrations the whole world is talking about.

Four days of parties, parades and plenty of pomp officially kicked off in tribute to 96-year-old monarch Queen Elizabeth and her 70-year reign on the British throne.

9 HONEY royal contributor and royal history expert Libby Jane Charleston told Liam Bartlett the British government was hosting a variety of colourful events for the Platinum Jubilee festivities, with a swag of famous entertainers, VIP guests and sideshow spectacles in London.

Listen to 9’s new podcast Beyond The Royal Throne

“It’s basically four days of parties and parades and no one does it quite like the Brits, so it’s a very proud four days for Britain,” she told the 6PR Mornings host.

She said the Queen had withdrawn from some events, including the St Paul’s Cathedral Service of Thanksgiving – a centrepiece of the celebrations – after citing discomfort following her brief appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony on Thursday local time.

Listen to episode one of Beyond The Royal Throne on Spotify here