A ‘jubilee’ is an event in which the life and reign of a monarch is celebrated, usually worldwide. Typically, royal jubilees celebrate significant periods in monarchs’ reigns, and in British history, only four monarchs have experienced national jubilee celebrations. The naming of these celebrations coincide with wedding anniversary traditions i.e. Silver Jubilee for 25 years, Golden Jubilee for 50 years, Diamond Jubilee for 60 years, and Platinum Jubilee for 70 years.
Here, we have everything you need to know about the jubilee milestones that British monarchs have celebrated…
George III’s Jubilee
The jubilee celebrations of British monarchs began with King George III, signifying the 49th anniversary of his accession and his entrance into the 50th year of his reign. George III was the first British monarch to mark a jubilee in a significant way, and the preparations for his Golden Jubilee were not too different from the jubilee celebrations of today. The celebrations for this jubilee, also known as the Grand National Jubilee, commenced in the United Kingdom on 25th October 1809 and span across multiple days.
Queen Victoria’s Jubilees
The next jubilee to be celebrated was during the reign of Queen Victoria; Britain’s second-longest reigning monarch. The fiftieth anniversary of Victoria’s accession was signified on the 20th June 1887, in which 50 foreign kings, princes and princesses, as well as those in charge of British overseas colonies, attended Buckingham Palace for a celebratory banquet. The following day, the Queen engaged in a procession while in an open luxury carriage through London to Westminster Abbey, where prayers were made for her. Later that day, the Queen returned to the Palace and went to her balcony where she was cheered by the crowd.
Ten years later, on the 20th June 1897, the sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession was celebrated with a series of events. This was the first Diamond Jubilee of any British monarch, and so the day was declared a bank holiday in Britain, Ireland and India in tribute to her ruling over 450 million people. Celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee lasted for a fortnight, and a Buckingham Palace garden party and banquet were also assembled to mark the occasion.
George V’s Jubilee
King George V became the first British monarch to celebrate a Silver Jubilee on 6th May 1935, marking his 25-year reign as the King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India. As this was the first ever Silver Jubilee celebration in British history, it was a major broadcast event and was celebrated with multiple large-scale events throughout London and the rest of the country. The day of the Jubilee celebrations was declared a bank holiday and included a procession through London, a national service of thanksgiving, a balcony appearance, and multiple garden parties across the United Kingdom.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilees
Queen Elizabeth II is our longest and oldest reigning monarch and she has celebrated many royal jubilees as a result, starting with her Silver Jubilee. This jubilee marked the 25th anniversary of Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. The anniversary date itself was 6th February 1977 and was commemorated in church services across the country throughout that month. The Queen spent the anniversary weekend with her family at Windsor. The full jubilee celebrations began in the summer and ended in June with official ‘Jubilee Days’ to coincide with The Queen’s Official Birthday.
The Queen then celebrated her Golden Jubilee; marking the 50th anniversary of her accession. It was intended by Elizabeth II to be both a commemoration of her 50-year reign and an opportunity for her to thank her people for their loyalty officially and personally. The jubilee was marked with large-scale and popular events throughout London between 1st and 4th June, supported by events throughout the Commonwealth realms.
The 60th anniversary of ascension to the throne was a momentous occasion for Queen Elizabeth II, as she is only the second monarch ever to have celebrated this milestone. Because of this, Britons were given an extra bank holiday to mark the occasion, and the Spring Bank holiday was moved to create a four-day bank holiday weekend. The bank holiday weekend saw events such as The Queen’s visit to the Epsom Derby, Big Jubilee Lunches, the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, The Diamond Jubilee Concert, and a national service of thanksgiving.
In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the first monarch in British history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee; marking an incredible seventy-year reign. As a result, numerous celebrations and events had taken place throughout the year, and a four-day UK bank holiday weekend was granted from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June. To coincide with her birthday celebrations, there were events such as Trooping the Colour, a Service of Thanksgiving, a Jubilee Concert, Epsom Derby, Platinum Party at the Palace, Big Jubilee Lunches, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.
