Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Encyclopedia
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II is the forthcoming international celebration in 2012 marking the 60th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries
, upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. Queen Victoria in 1897 is thus far the only monarch in the histories of Britain, Canada, and a few other Commonwealth realm
s to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee.
Following the tradition of jubilees past, a Diamond Jubilee medal
is to be issued in various countries; Canada's was revealed just prior to Accession Day
, 2011. A holiday to mark the event is planned in the United Kingdom. Further plans were discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011
.
, the Governor-General of Australia
, announced that the Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated "with a host of national and community events throughout the Commonwealth
." In that vein, it was said in late 2011 that the government of Queensland
was planning to declare a holiday in June 2012 to mark the jubilee.
The Royal Australian Mint
announced in August 2011 that it will be releasing a silver proof 50 cent coin to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
, the Secretary to the Queen
, Kevin S. MacLeod, has been charged by the Governor General-in-Council
to head the Diamond Jubilee Committee, which is overseeing the organisation of that country's fête
s for the Queen. As with other royal events, the Department of Canadian Heritage
will play a large role in organisation and planning; in 2007, then-Secretary of State for Canadian Heritage Jason Kenney
requested that the various lieutenant governors
begin preparations for the anniversary.
In early 2010, the question of a national holiday to mark the jubilee was raised in the media and it was in June announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage
, James Moore
, that a new painted portrait of the Queen, the first since 1976, would be completed by an Ontario
artist by 2012. Also, a commemorative stained glass
window, showing Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria with their respective royal cypher
s and renditions of the Centre Block
of the Canadian parliament during the reign of each monarch, was on 30 June 2010 unveiled by the Queen at Rideau Hall
; it will be installed in the Senate chamber by the time of the Diamond Jubilee. A corbel
within the Sovereigns' Arches of the parliament's Senate foyer was also sculpted into a rendition of the Queen to mark the Diamond Jubilee and unveiled on 9 December 2010 by the country's governor general
, David Johnston
. Further, in the newly dedicated Queen Elizabeth II Gardens outside the monarch's official residence in Manitoba
, the Queen planted on 3 July 2010 an Amber Jubilee Ninebark
shrub, the species having been created specifically for the Diamond Jubilee.
On 3 February 2011, Governor General David Johnston announced that the Queen had approved the creation of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
. The Governor General and Prime Minister Stephen Harper
unveiled the medal, along with the official emblem of Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, at Rideau Hall. The Royal Canadian Mint
will issue an "extensive set" of coins to mark the anniversary.
, the Governor-General of New Zealand
, unveiled the Diamond Jubilee emblem for New Zealand
and announced a full program would be announced in due course.
, national and regional events to mark the Diamond Jubilee are being co-ordinated by the Queen-in-Council
and her Royal Household at Buckingham Palace
. As for the Golden Jubilee
in 2002, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
is responsible for co-ordinating the Cabinet
-led aspects of the celebrations.
On 5 January 2010, the Lord President of the Council
and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson
announced that an extra bank holiday
would take place on Tuesday, 5 June 2012. By moving the Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) to 4 June, this will result in a four-day holiday in honour of the Diamond Jubilee, coinciding with the Queen's Official Birthday
in the United Kingdom, also on 4 June. As national holidays are a devolved matter, Scotland
's first minister
confirmed separately that the bank holiday would be held on 5 June in that country as well. A large event will be staged in London on that weekend, which is to include a diamond jubilee concert, reportedly to be produced by singer-songwriter Gary Barlow
, and a maritime parade of boats and events along the River Thames
on 3 June, in which 1,000 boats are expected to take part (the largest flotilla to be seen on the river in 350 years) and some one million people are expected to watch from the banks. Street parties can be permitted to take place across the country. Special community lottery grants, called The Jubilee People's Millions, are being offered by the Big Lottery Fund
and ITV
. There was a contest held by the BBC
children's programme Blue Peter
to design the official emblem for the Diamond Jubilee; the winning design, announced in February 2011, was created by ten-year-old Katherine Dewar.
To mark the jubilee, the Queen will bestow Royal Borough status on Greenwich
, in south-east London. In addition, a competition will grant in 2012 city status
to one town and either a lord mayoralty or lord provostship to one city. The Olympic park in East London, created for the 2012 London Olympics
, will be named the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the Olympics.
In March 2011, the Royal Commonwealth Society
launched the Jubilee Time Capsule to mark the jubilee. In the United Kingdom, 60 Jubilee woodland
s are planned to be established by the Woodland Trust
in 2011-12, one of which is to be 500 acres and the remainder 60 acres each.
States headed by Elizabeth II
The number of states headed by Queen Elizabeth II has varied during her years on the throne, altogether seeing her as head of state of a total of thirty-two independent countries during this period...
, upon the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. Queen Victoria in 1897 is thus far the only monarch in the histories of Britain, Canada, and a few other Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s to have celebrated a Diamond Jubilee.
Following the tradition of jubilees past, a Diamond Jubilee medal
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created in 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II and to "honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians."-Design:...
is to be issued in various countries; Canada's was revealed just prior to Accession Day
Accession Day
An Accession Day is the anniversary of the date on which a monarch succeeds to the throne upon the death of the previous monarch.-Monarchy:The custom of marking this day was inaugurated during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England....
, 2011. A holiday to mark the event is planned in the United Kingdom. Further plans were discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2011, commonly known as CHOGM 2011, was the twenty-second Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations...
.
Australia
Quentin BryceQuentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
, the Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, announced that the Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated "with a host of national and community events throughout the Commonwealth
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
." In that vein, it was said in late 2011 that the government of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
was planning to declare a holiday in June 2012 to mark the jubilee.
The Royal Australian Mint
Royal Australian Mint
The Royal Australian Mint is situated in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Deakin.Before the opening of the mint, Australian coins were struck at branches of the Royal Mint - the Sydney Mint, Melbourne Mint and Perth Mint. The Royal Australian Mint holds a place in...
announced in August 2011 that it will be releasing a silver proof 50 cent coin to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Canada
In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Secretary to the Queen
Canadian Secretary to the Queen
The Canadian Secretary to the Queen is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the sovereign of Canada. The secretary is the principal channel of communication between the Queen and her Canadian government, provincial governments, and the governments of the fifteen other...
, Kevin S. MacLeod, has been charged by the Governor General-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
to head the Diamond Jubilee Committee, which is overseeing the organisation of that country's fête
Fête
Fête is a French word meaning festival, celebration or party, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events.-Description:It is widely used in England and Australia in the context of a village fête,...
s for the Queen. As with other royal events, the Department of Canadian Heritage
Department of Canadian Heritage
The Department of Canadian Heritage, or simply Canadian Heritage |department]] of the Government of Canada with responsibility for policies and programs regarding the arts, culture, media, communications networks, official languages , status of women, sports , and multiculturalism...
will play a large role in organisation and planning; in 2007, then-Secretary of State for Canadian Heritage Jason Kenney
Jason Kenney
Jason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....
requested that the various lieutenant governors
Lieutenant Governor (Canada)
In Canada, a lieutenant governor is the viceregal representative in a provincial jurisdiction of the Canadian monarch and head of state, Queen Elizabeth II, who resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United Kingdom...
begin preparations for the anniversary.
In early 2010, the question of a national holiday to mark the jubilee was raised in the media and it was in June announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Minister of Canadian Heritage
The Minister of Canadian Heritage is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who heads the Department of Canadian Heritage, the federal government department responsible for Canada's Arts, Culture, Media, Communications network, and Sport....
, James Moore
James Moore (Canadian politician)
James Moore, PC, MP is the Canadian Member of Parliament for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada...
, that a new painted portrait of the Queen, the first since 1976, would be completed by an Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
artist by 2012. Also, a commemorative stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
window, showing Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria with their respective royal cypher
Royal Cypher
In modern heraldry, a royal cypher is a monogram-like device of a country's reigning sovereign, typically consisting of the initials of the monarch's name and title, sometimes interwoven and often surmounted by a crown. In the case where such a cypher is used by an emperor or empress, it is called...
s and renditions of the Centre Block
Centre Block
The Centre Block is the main building of the Canadian parliamentary complex on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing the Commons and Senate chambers, as well as the offices of a number of Members of Parliament and Senators, as well as senior administration for both legislative houses...
of the Canadian parliament during the reign of each monarch, was on 30 June 2010 unveiled by the Queen at Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in Ottawa of both the Canadian monarch and the Governor General of Canada. It stands in Canada's capital on a 0.36 km2 estate at 1 Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of 170 rooms across 9,500 m2 , and 24 outbuildings around the...
; it will be installed in the Senate chamber by the time of the Diamond Jubilee. A corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
within the Sovereigns' Arches of the parliament's Senate foyer was also sculpted into a rendition of the Queen to mark the Diamond Jubilee and unveiled on 9 December 2010 by the country's governor general
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, David Johnston
David Johnston
David Lloyd Johnston is a Canadian academic, author and statesman who is the current Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation....
. Further, in the newly dedicated Queen Elizabeth II Gardens outside the monarch's official residence in Manitoba
Government House (Manitoba)
Government House of Manitoba is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, as well as that in Winnipeg of the Canadian monarch...
, the Queen planted on 3 July 2010 an Amber Jubilee Ninebark
Physocarpus
Physocarpus, commonly called Ninebark, is a genus of about ten species of flowering plants in the family Rosaceae, native to North America and northeastern Asia ....
shrub, the species having been created specifically for the Diamond Jubilee.
On 3 February 2011, Governor General David Johnston announced that the Queen had approved the creation of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created in 2011 to mark the 60th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II and to "honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians."-Design:...
. The Governor General and Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
unveiled the medal, along with the official emblem of Canada's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, at Rideau Hall. The Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and...
will issue an "extensive set" of coins to mark the anniversary.
New Zealand
Sir Jerry MateparaeJerry Mateparae
Lieutenant General Sir Jeremiah "Jerry" Mateparae, GNZM, QSO is New Zealand's 20th Governor-General. He was Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force between 2006 and 2011, the first Māori person to hold the office, and the Director of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau from 7...
, the Governor-General of New Zealand
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
, unveiled the Diamond Jubilee emblem for New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and announced a full program would be announced in due course.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, national and regional events to mark the Diamond Jubilee are being co-ordinated by the Queen-in-Council
Queen-in-Council
The Queen-in-Council is, in each of the Commonwealth realms, the technical term of constitutional law that refers to the exercise of executive authority, denoting the monarch acting by and with the advice and consent of his or her privy council or executive council The Queen-in-Council (during...
and her Royal Household at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. As for the Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
in 2002, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport in England, and some aspects of the media throughout the whole UK, such as broadcasting and internet....
is responsible for co-ordinating the Cabinet
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....
-led aspects of the celebrations.
On 5 January 2010, the Lord President of the Council
Lord President of the Council
The Lord President of the Council is the fourth of the Great Officers of State of the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord High Treasurer and above the Lord Privy Seal. The Lord President usually attends each meeting of the Privy Council, presenting business for the monarch's approval...
and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson
Peter Mandelson
Peter Benjamin Mandelson, Baron Mandelson, PC is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Hartlepool from 1992 to 2004, served in a number of Cabinet positions under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and was a European Commissioner...
announced that an extra bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
would take place on Tuesday, 5 June 2012. By moving the Spring Bank Holiday (the last Monday in May) to 4 June, this will result in a four-day holiday in honour of the Diamond Jubilee, coinciding with the Queen's Official Birthday
Queen's Official Birthday
The Queen's Official Birthday is the selected day on which the birthday of the monarch of Commonwealth realms is officially celebrated in Commonwealth countries and in Fiji, which is now a republic. It is an invention of the early 20th century...
in the United Kingdom, also on 4 June. As national holidays are a devolved matter, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's first minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
confirmed separately that the bank holiday would be held on 5 June in that country as well. A large event will be staged in London on that weekend, which is to include a diamond jubilee concert, reportedly to be produced by singer-songwriter Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow
Gary Barlow is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of pop group Take That and is currently the head judge on the eighth series of The X Factor. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters...
, and a maritime parade of boats and events along the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
on 3 June, in which 1,000 boats are expected to take part (the largest flotilla to be seen on the river in 350 years) and some one million people are expected to watch from the banks. Street parties can be permitted to take place across the country. Special community lottery grants, called The Jubilee People's Millions, are being offered by the Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. There was a contest held by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
children's programme Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
to design the official emblem for the Diamond Jubilee; the winning design, announced in February 2011, was created by ten-year-old Katherine Dewar.
To mark the jubilee, the Queen will bestow Royal Borough status on Greenwich
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
, in south-east London. In addition, a competition will grant in 2012 city status
City status in the United Kingdom
City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...
to one town and either a lord mayoralty or lord provostship to one city. The Olympic park in East London, created for the 2012 London Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
, will be named the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park following the Olympics.
In March 2011, the Royal Commonwealth Society
Royal Commonwealth Society
The Royal Commonwealth Society is an international educational charity and a private members' club. Its mission is to support and promote the modern Commonwealth, its culture and core values...
launched the Jubilee Time Capsule to mark the jubilee. In the United Kingdom, 60 Jubilee woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s are planned to be established by the Woodland Trust
Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is a conservation charity in the United Kingdom concerned with the protection and sympathetic management of native woodland heritage.-History:...
in 2011-12, one of which is to be 500 acres and the remainder 60 acres each.
See also
- Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth IISilver Jubilee of Elizabeth IIThe Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
- Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth IIGolden Jubilee of Elizabeth IIThe Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
- List of longest-reigning British monarchs