Queen Elizabeths Golden Jubilee in 2012
In 2002, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom celebrated her Golden Jubilee to commemorate 50 years on the throne. At the time, there was some concern that the celebrations would be a bit of a flop; after all, it was only a few years after the death of Princess Diana and, in many quarters, the popularity of the Royal Family had waned significantly. In addition, the Queen Mother and the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, both passed away in 2002. According to a survey carried out byOpinion Leader Research, just 5% of British people felt that the Jubilee would have “the greatest impact on the country’s mood.” Nevertheless, the celebrations went ahead and were far more successful than anticipated.
Although events occurred throughout the Golden Jubilee year, the main celebrations lasted for four days, from June 1-4. June 3 and 4 were deemed public holidays. The Queen was directly involved in the following events:
Royal Windsor horse show
A ‘theatrical extravaganza’ featuring 1,000 horses was held at Windsor Castle on May 16, 17 and 18. It involved horsemanship from across the ages and culminated in the recreation of the stage coach trip from the Queen’s Coronation Day. The Gold Stage Coach left London for the first time since the coronation in 1952 and was pulled by eight Windsor Greys. For the Queen, her family and those lucky enough to attend, it was a beautifully designed event that celebrated the Queen’s longevity with aplomb. Fortunately, it was televised, so those who couldn’t attend were able to get a slice of the fun.
Classical concert
The Prom at the Palace, held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, started off the Golden Jubilee weekend on June 1. 12,000 guests were invited, but another 40,000 people flocked to the mall and London parks to watch the concert on big screens. The Queen was seen to be visibly enjoying herself through performances by cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, clarinettist Julian Bliss and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. This event witnessed the softening of the Queen’s attitude towards Camilla Parker-Bowles, who was present in the Royal Box as Prince Charles’ partner.
Pop concert
Despite the Queen’s age, she appeared to enjoyThe Party at the Palace, a pop version of The Prom at the Palace, which was held on June 3. Queen band member Brian May opened the concert with his rendition of God Save the Queen. The show then portrayed five decades of pop and rock music at the hands of the greatest British bands and artists in history, including Annie Lennox, Atomic Kitten, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, Paul McCartney, S Club 7 and Rod Stewart. Younger members of the Royal Family, including Zara Phillips, were seen enjoying the music, but one and all, regardless of age, were in good spirits.
Opening of the Commonwealth Games
The XVII Commonwealth Gamesheld in 2002 was given special prominence because it was held in Manchester and the Queen opened the Games on July 25. Part of the ceremony involved the traditional Baton Ceremony. For each Games, the host country designs a baton that carries a message from the Queen which is then read at the opening ceremony. The 2002 version was particularly special because it fell during Golden Jubilee year. LEDs inside the baton were able to detect the pulse rate of whoever was holding it and flash to the same beat: “The hearts of the Runner and the Baton beat as one until it is passed on, symbolising the journey of humanity and the essence of life.” The baton began its journey when handed to the Queen at Buckingham Palace on March 11 2002, before finally ending up in Manchester for Queen’s opening ceremony.
Extensive tours of Great Britain and the Commonwealth
No-one can accuse the Queen of being lazy – her official duties come thick and fast, despite her age. In 2002, she made a special effort to meet as many of her subjects as possible, which involvedextensive toursof Great Britain and the Commonwealth. From May to August, she visited a massive 70 cities and towns across the United Kingdom. She also travelled 40,000 miles to visit subjects in Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Jamaica and Canada. The combination of her effort and the excitement of Commonwealth citizens at the celebrations led to a rise in the Queen’s popularity, at the time she needed it most.
2012 will see the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee, to commemorate 60 years on the throne. This makes Queen Elizabeth II the second longest-running monarch, after Queen Victoria, in 1,200 years of British history. The upcoming celebrations look like they will certainly rival, if not surpass, the celebrations of the Golden Jubilee.
