How Queen Elizabeth Celebrated the Golden Jubilee
In 2002, HRH Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 50th year of reign, also known as her Golden Jubilee. During this year, there were many festivities and the Queen traveled quite extensively throughout the Commonwealth Realms.Queen Elizabeth’s first celebrations took place in Jamaica. Although she did not become the Queen of Jamaica until a decade after her ascension in the United Kingdom, the Queen and Duke were received well and made stops in Kingston and Montego Bay. The Queen’s sister had died on February 9, 2002, just nine days prior to her arrival to Jamaica, on February 18, 2002, so celebration was bound to be difficult for her in her state of mourning. During her last banquet in Jamaica, at the King’s House, a power outage caused the dinner to be eaten in darkness. The Queen lightheartedly called the experience, “memorable.”The Queen’s next stop was New Zealand and the Queen and Duke arrived on February 22, 2002. Her reception was not nearly as warm, and only approximately 4,000 people came to receive the Queen in Auckland. Her next stop was in nearby Australia, where she arrived five days later in Adelaide. The Queen and Duke spent five days touring South Australia and Queensland. On the Queen’s Birthday holiday in Australia, many services of thanksgiving were celebrated in her honor.Unfortunately, tragedy struck again when the Queen Mum (the mother of the queen) died on March 30, 2002. The realms observed a day of morning and one million people filled Westminster Abbey on the day of her funeral, April 9, 2002. After this tragic event, festivities resumed, such as a dinner which was hosted by then Prime Minister Tony Blair and guests included not only the Queen, but all living Prime Ministers.Most of the celebrations in the United Kingdom were hosted between May and June of 2002. These events culminated on June 4th, where a million-person parade and flypast were observed at an event called “The Mall” in London, England. The Queen also made several goodwill visits across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland during these months.The Queen’s Golden Jubilee Weekend was held from June 1-4 2002, which was celebrated by various celebrations such as, the Prom at the Palace at Buckingham Palace and a BBC Music Live Festival, where artists such as Tony Bennet, Eric Clapton, and Paul McCartney performed.The country of Canada also celebrated the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year round with many festivities and events. The Queen and Duke were received in Ontario, Canada on October 9, 2002 by thousands and that night they celebrated at Exhibition Palace.During the year 2002, many of the Commonwealth Realms celebrated and dedicated monuments to the Queen. There were souvenirs created as well. The year 2012 marks the Queen’s 60th year of reign, and her realms will celebrate herDiamond Jubileeall over the world. She is only the second British monarch to have a Diamond Jubilee, Queen Victoria being the first.
