Queen Elizabeth II and the Jubilee – The Diamond Jubilee 1952 -2012

The Queen was born at 2.40am on 21 April 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in Mayfair, London.

She was the first child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1930, Princess Elizabeth gained a sister, with the birth of Princess Margaret Rose. The family of four was very close.

At the time she stood third in line of succession to the throne after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII), and her father, The Duke of York.

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary on 20 November 2011. They have four children, eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father's death and her own accession to the throne, while staying in a remote part of Kenya. The Coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953. It was a solemn ceremony conducted by Dr Geoffrey Fisher, Archbishop of Canterbury.

Jubilees and other milestones During her reign, The Queen has reached important milestones in her personal and public life. Some of these have been celebrated publicly.

 

Silver Jubilee, 1952 -1977

In 1977 The Queen's Silver Jubilee was marked with celebrations at every level throughout the country and Commonwealth.

 

Golden Jubilee 1952 - 2002

As well as a celebration of Her Majesty's 50 years on the throne, the Golden Jubilee was an opportunity for The Queen to express her thanks to people, both personally and officially, for their support and loyalty over her reign.

The Queen at 80 The Queen turned 80 on 21 April 2006 and celebrated her official birthday on 17 June 2006.
A number of events took place to celebrate the birthday, both around Her Majesty's actual birthday on 21 April and her official birthday on 17 June.

Diamond Wedding Anniversary

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on 20 November 2007.

 

 

History of Jubilees

Royal Jubilees celebrate significant periods in monarchs' reigns and the national life. Few British monarchs have achieved reigns of 50 years, and Golden Jubilees are very rare. There are few records of how - if at all - Henry III, Edward III and James VI and I celebrated their 50-year milestones.

The first British monarch to mark 50 years on the throne in a significant way was George III, followed by Queen Victoria. The Queen had Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977, when she marked 25 years on the Throne - her Silver Jubilee.

A. Celebrations
What is Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee?
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years since her accession in 1952. Royal Jubilees celebrate significant periods in monarchs’ reigns and national life. In 2012, The Queen will become only the second UK monarch to mark 60 years on the throne. Celebrations were previously held for Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 and Golden Jubilee in 2002.

When exactly is The Queen marking her Diamond Jubilee?
While Accession Day is on 6th February, celebrations will occur throughout 2012, with a special extended bank holiday central weekend in the United Kingdom on 2nd-5th June.

 

 

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 2012 Emblem

  The official emblem for The Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 is the winning design following a national competition for children aged between 6 and 14. It was drawn by 10-year-old Katherine Dewar, from Chester.

 

The Diamond Jubilee Programme and Central Weekend

An outline of The Queen’s Programme and details of where other Members of the Royal Family are visiting in 2012 have been announced.

Regional visits within the UK by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh

Details of the programme will include:

29th March	North London
26th - 27th April	Wales
1st - 2nd May	South West England
15th May	South London
16th - 17th May	North West England
2nd - 5th June	Central Weekend
13th - 14th June	East Midlands and East Anglia
25th June and 25th July	South East England
2nd - 6th July	Scotland (Holyrood Week)
11th - 12th July	West Midlands
18th - 19th July	North East England

 

Overseas visits by Members of the Royal Family

Members of the Royal Family will travel overseas representing The Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year,

visiting every Realm as well as undertaking visits to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Her Majesty has asked that these visits include the following:

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea

The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall: Channel Islands, Isle of Man

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: Malaysia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu

Prince Harry: Belize, Jamaica, The Bahamas

The Duke of York: India

The Earl and Countess of Wessex: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis,

St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago

The Princess Royal: Mozambique, Zambia

The Duke of Gloucester: British Virgin Islands, Malta

The Duke of Kent: Falkland Islands, Uganda

Diamond Jubilee Pageant

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant took place on 10, 11, 12 and 13 May 2012 in Windsor. For further information please visit www.diamond-jubilee-pageant.com.

 

Central Weekend, 2 - 5 June 2012

The Central Weekend to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee takes place from Saturday 2 June to Tuesday 5 June 2012, with celebratory activities throughout the United Kingdom

and across the Commonwealth.

The Jubilee Weekend features an extra Bank Holiday for the Diamond Jubilee, with the late May Bank Holiday moved one week later, thereby making a 4-day long weekend. Buckingham Palace

is responsible for the coordination of the central weekend, and the outline of the main programme is as follows:

The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby. On Saturday 2nd June, The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby.

Sunday 3 June, 2012 On Sunday 3rd June the Big Jubilee Lunch and the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will take place.

The Big Jubilee Lunch: Building on the already popular Big Lunch initiative, people will be encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

This may take the form of a traditional street party or a picnic lunch in small or larger groups. This event is being organised by the Big Lunch, http://www.thebiglunch.com

The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant: This event will take place on the Thames and consist of up to 1,000 boats assembled from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world.

The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, and other Members of the Royal Family will participate in the Pageant. This event is being organised by the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation,

  Monday 4 June, 2012
BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace: There will be a televised Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace with tickets being available to UK residents by public ballot. The musical programme for the concert is still being planned and is expected to feature British and Commonwealth musicians. Details on how to apply for the concert will be available in due course.

This event is being organised by the BBC.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Beacons: A network of 2,012 Beacons will be lit by communities and individuals throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. As in 2002, The Queen will light the National Beacon. The beacons project is being organised by Diamond Jubilee Beacons Ltd. - http://www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk/

When will the Beacons be lit?
The Queen will light the National Beacon on Monday 4th June. Further details about the lighting of Beacons will be announced by Diamond Jubilee Beacons Ltd.

Tuesday 5 June, 2012
Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession: There will be a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and a formal carriage Procession by The Queen. Ceremonial Procession

Commonwealth Realms Since The Queen has been Head of the Commonwealth in 1952, 2012 marks the 60th anniversary of this role.

Commonwealth Realms and other Commonwealth nations will be creating their own events in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. In addition, they will be represented at, and involved with,

the events taking place over the central weekend in the UK, including the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3rd June and the Service of Thanksgiving on 5th June.

You can write to Her Majesty at the following address:
Her Majesty The Queen,

Buckingham Palace

London SW1A 1AA

If you wish to write a formal letter, you can open with 'Madam' and close the letter with the form

'I have the honour to be, Madam, Your Majesty's humble and obedient servant'.
This traditional approach is by no means obligatory. You should feel free to write in whatever style you feel comfortable.

Resource 

http://www.royal.gov.uk/HMTheQueen/TheQueenandspecialanniversaries/DiamondAnniversary/DiamondAnniversary.aspx