Silver, Gold & Diamond: A Look Into Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee History

Feb 03, 2022

Royal jubilees are important milestones when the nation and world come together to celebrate the life and reign of a monarch. The concept of jubilees dates back to biblical times, but in modern history, they are most commonly associated with the royal family. The first monarch to celebrate 50 years on the throne in a significant way was King George III in 1809. He was followed by Queen Victoria, who celebrated her Gold and Diamond jubilees in 1887 and 1897 respectively.

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-reigning monarch in British history, which means she has had the most jubilees! She had significant celebrations for her silver, gold and diamond jubilees. On February 6, 2022, the queen will mark 70 years on the throne and the first-ever Platinum Jubilee. In June of 2022, there will be a long weekend of events to celebrate the occasion. Queen Elizabeth will also be given a medal as thanks for her service. This medal will be the fourth of its kind presented to the queen. She previously received the other medals on her Diamond, Gold and Silver Jubilees. 

From June 2, 2022, to June 5, there will be an extended holiday in England to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee. Some of the events that have been announced include a pudding competition, trooping the color, the lighting of the jubilee beacons and a party at Buckingham Palace. The Queen’s Green Canopy is an initiative that began to honor the queen’s reign and plant trees to support the environment. There have already been 60,000 trees planted in the UK and the initiative will continue into 2023.

Let’s take a look at the queen’s history and her Silver, Gold and Diamond jubilees. 

Silver

Queen Elizabeth became a monarch on February 6, 1952. Her Silver Jubilee in 1977 marked 25 years on the throne. That year, the queen celebrated with her family in February and then held events for the public in the summer. During her keynote speech, she said:

“When I was twenty-one I pledged my life to the service of our people and I asked for God's help to make good that vow. Although that vow was made in my salad days, when I was green in judgment, I do not regret nor retract one word of it.”

Wanting to meet as many people as possible, the queen went on a large-scale tour that lasted three months. 

Gold

The 50 year anniversary in 2002 was marked with the Golden Jubilee. This important milestone had only been achieved by a handful of monarchs in British history. Queen Elizabeth said, “Gratitude, respect and pride, these words sum up how I feel about the people of this country and the Commonwealth - and what this Golden Jubilee means to me.”

She added: “I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you - here in Guildhall, those of you waiting in the Mall and the streets of London, and all those up and down this country and throughout the Commonwealth… Thank you all for your enthusiasm to mark and celebrate these past fifty years.”

In her Golden Jubilee message, she also said:

“This anniversary is for us an occasion to acknowledge with gratitude the loyalty and support which we have received from so many people since I came to the Throne in 1952…I believe that young or old, we have as much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we have to look back on with pride.”

Diamond

In 2012, the Diamond Jubilee was celebrated with a weekend of events as well as a regional tour. The queen and Prince Phillip traveled as much as they could around England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland, while the Prince of Wales and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited other countries in the commonwealth.

In her message to the public, Queen Elizabeth said: “Today, as I mark 60 years as your Queen, I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Philip over these years and to tell you how deeply moved we have been to receive so many kind messages about the Diamond Jubilee.”

She continued, “In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighborliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.”

The historical event was a great time to celebrate and remember the past 60 years. At the end of her message, the queen wrote, “I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with a clear head and warm heart as we join together in our celebrations.”

Do you remember any of these previous celebrations? Are you looking forward to the Platinum Jubilee? Let us know and be sure to pass this along to your friends and family.