NEIGHBOURING villages are planning Diamond Jubilee celebrations fit for a queen – or indeed a king.

Ahead of a weekend of activities, Hanley Swan and Hanley Castle will be selecting a jubilee king and queen from among the students at St Gabriel’s CE Primary School.

The jubilee celebrations begin in Hanley Castle at noon on Saturday, June 2, centred around the Three Kings inn and St Mary’s church and including refreshments, live music and traditional games.

Then on Sunday, June 3, activities move to Hanley Swan, where the king and queen will be crowned in a special church service, mirroring some of the music and words from the Queen’s own coronation, at 11am. Horsedrawn carriages have been booked to take the king and queen to the village green, where they will open a Big Lunch event to the sound of fanfares and church bells.

The lunch will feature a range of royal-themed events, including a hat competition, a Royal Ascot carousel and a corgi agility demonstration.

In the evening a Songs of Praise service will be taking place in St Mary’s church, while the following day (Monday, June 4) a family barn dance will take place in Hanley Swan Village Hall before residents gather and take advantage of their view to the Malvern Hills to watch a beacon being lit on top of the Worcestershire Beacon.