Queen Elizabeth II is photographed at Sandringham House to mark the start of her Platinum Jubilee … [+]
This week, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to achieve 70 years of reign, which she celebrated in a quiet, private way with a small reception and by reiterating her commitment to serving the British as she did when she ascended to the throne at age 25 on February 6, 1952, upon the untimely death of her father, King George VI, of lung cancer at age 56.
“As we mark this anniversary, I am pleased to renew the pledge I made in 1947, that my life would be wholly devoted to your service,” she wrote in a hand-signed message published to mark the occasion and signed “your servant Elizabeth R.”
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on the day of her coronation, Buckingham Palace, 1953. … [+]
Since her coronation, in her imperturbable style, she’s been an ‘anchor in the storm’, facing innumerable crisis inside and outside the walls of her palaces, including many personal ones — most recently, the scandal associated with accusations of sexual assault by her son, Andrew.
She is also commemorating this milestone alone, having lost her husband of 73 years, 99-year-old Prince Philip, last April.
She marked the eve of her Platinum Jubilee with a special reception at Sandringham House on Saturday, welcoming members of the local community and volunteer groups to her private residence around 100 miles north of London.
Queen Elizabeth II looks at a fan as she views a display of memorabilia from her Golden and Platinum … [+]
Queen Elizabeth II cuts a cake to celebrate the start of the Platinum Jubilee during a reception in … [+]
Her message also includes clear directions for the shaping of the monarchy in the future, including her “sincere wish” that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the second wife of crown Prince Charles, “be known as the queen consort” when he becomes king.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me,” the queen wrote.
It’s expected that both the queen’s surprisingly strong support for her daughter-in-law and her call for her subjects to back the couple in their future roles will end years of heated controversy over the title to be given to the woman who in the eyes of many Britons was “the other one” during Charles’s marriage to their beloved Princess Diana.
Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who will become King and Queen Consort, visit … [+]
In practical terms, according to royal experts, that means that on the day of the coronation ceremony of Charles as new king at Westminster Abbey, the queen consort seats on a throne, under a golden canopy, draped in a golden tunic and wearing a dress decorated with thousands of pearls, precious stones and gems.
“After laying the crown of Saint Edward enhanced with the ruby of the Black Prince, for the first and last time, on the king’s forehead,” Le Point explains, “the Archbishop of Canterbury places a crown on Camilla’s head, after passing her the regal ring. on the ring finger of the right hand.”
The Queen’s transition instructions, according to the British press, have been favorably received by the public. Prince Charles, 73, said that along with “his dear wife” Camilla, 74, they were “fully aware of this honour” and praised his mother for her remarkable achievements and admirable dedication.
“Royal Nod for ‘Queen Camilla’ Caps Years of Image Repair,” writes the New York Times. “The queen’s longevity but also her immutability, in a country that lurched from the storms of Brexit into the siege of the pandemic, have been an unmatched anchor of stability.”
This is the first anniversary jubilee of the queen’s reign as a widow.
A photograph released Sunday by Buckingham Palace to start the celebrations shows her smiling, in a light green dress, sitting at Sandringham house, working in front of her famous red box containing government documents. In the background, a photo honors her father.
At this point, Elizabeth II has largely withdrawn from public life since health problems in October, cancelling multiple public appearances, passing most of her duties to other members of the royal family and giving more authority to Prince Charles.
Longevity — only three other monarchs are documented to have reigned for more than 70 years — is not the only record she has broken. In Britain, she’s the longest-reigning queen, taking the record from her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who reigned for 63 years and 216 days (June 20, 1837 — January 22, 1901), according to the Guinness World Records.
The Guinness list also notes that she’s the oldest queen, the oldest current monarch, the richest queen, and enjoys the most currencies featuring her image, among other records.
Queen Elizabeth II with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the Grand Corridor … [+]
She certainly has gone on to be part of many other milestones, including welcoming a new millennium, meeting 13 American presidents, celebrating numerous Jubilees, watching her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up, granting permission for their weddings (and seeing many of those marriages collapse), dealing with Brexit and multiple other British political crises and — along with the scandals and tragedies involving various members of the royal family — addressing the nation about the coronavirus pandemic.
Officially, there are four days of festivities to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee scheduled for June 2 (the day of her coronation in 1953) throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world as communities gather to celebrate her historic reign, including a military parade, a large concert and thousands of popular lunches.
A few recent appearances before her official Platinum Jubilee show her frail and walking with a cane in her hand. “For worried Britons, it is another sign of her fragility and a wistful reminder that the second Elizabethan Age is coming to an end,” the New York Times notes.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II smiles during a reception in the Ballroom of Sandringham House, the … [+]