The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond (60th) Jubilee Celebrations 2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She became Queen when her father, King George VI, died on 6th February, 1952. Princess Elizabeth was 25 years old and she and her husband Prince Philip were on safari in Kenya when news of her father's death reached her. She returned home as Queen Elizabeth II. Her coronation took place in Westminster Abbey on 2nd June 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977, Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002, and 2012 marks the Diamond 60th Jubilee of her reign. The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria who celebrated the 60th year of her reign in 1897. Kings and Queens by length of reign. To mark this historic occasion special events are planned during 2012 throughout the UK and the Commonwealth Realms (countries in which she is Head of State), and in many Commonwealth Nations.
Visits around the UK The Queen, accompanied by her husband The Duke of Edinburgh, will mark the Diamond Jubilee with visits and engagements throughout the United Kingdom. Details of the programme include: 29th March North London 26th - 27th April Wales 1st - 2nd May South West England 15th May South London 16th - 17th May North West England 2nd - 5th June Central Weekend 13th - 14th June East Midlands and East Anglia 25th June and 25th July South East England 2nd - 6th July Scotland (Holyrood Week) 11th - 12th July West Midlands 18th - 19th July North East England On 27th July The Queen will open the London 2012 Olympic Games.	60th Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II's reign Souvenir book
Diamond Jubilee Week - 2nd to 5th June Official celebrations for The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will take place in a special Diamond Jubilee week between Saturday 2nd June and Tuesday 5th June 2012. Saturday 2nd June: The Queen will attend the Epsom Derby. She is a keen horse racing fan and has been attending the Epsom Derby for eight decades. Sunday 3rd June: The Big Jubilee Lunch. People will be encouraged to share lunch with neighbours and friends as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Monday 4th June: A televised Diamond Jubilee Concert held at Buckingham Palace, with tickets available to UK residents by public ballot. Monday 4th June: 2,012 beacons will be lit by communities and individuals throughout the United Kingdom, as well as the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth. Tuesday 5th June: A Service of Thanksgiving and Carriage Procession. The service will take place at St Paul’s Cathedral, with a formal carriage procession by The Queen.
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant takes place on Sunday 3rd June 2012. The Pageant is one of the main celebrations being held to mark the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II. 1,000 boats, from across the UK, the Commonwealth and around the world, will sail down the River Thames. The Queen will lead the flotilla in the Royal Barge reviving a tradition that dates back over 400 years. The organisers plan to create a piece of theatre on the water, incorporating music, fireworks and special effects. The Royal Barge decorated in red and gold and featuring The Queen’s cipher and a crown will carry The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, along with other members of the Royal Family. The Prince of Wales has been announced as Patron of the Pageant.
Commonwealth Day 12th March 2012 Her Majesty The Queen attended Commonwealth Day Observance in Westminster Abbey to celebrate Her Diamond Jubilee and 60 years as Head of the Commonwealth. It was attended by the Prime Minister, High Commissioners and over 1,000 UK school children. Visits to the Realms and Commonwealth countries Members of the Royal Family will travel overseas representing the Queen throughout the Diamond Jubilee year, visiting every Realm as well as undertaking visits to Commonwealth countries, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. These visits will include: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (Prince Charles and Camilla) will visit: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea The Prince of Wales: Channel Islands, Isle of Man The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Catherine): Malaysia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. The tiny Pacific nation of Tuvalu last had a royal visit in 1982 when the Queen and her husband Prince Philip were carried shoulder high by islanders into the capital Funafuti. Prince Harry: Belize, Jamaica, and The Bahamas The Duke of York (Prince Andrew): India The Earl and Countess of Wessex (Prince Edward and Sophie) : Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Gibraltar, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago The Princess Royal (Princess Anne): Mozambique, Zambia The Duke of Gloucester (The Queen's cousin): British Virgin Islands, Malta The Duke of Kent: (The Queen's cousin): Falkland Islands, Uganda. Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Emblem A national competition to design an “official emblem” for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee 2012 attracted over 35,000 entries from school children aged between 6 and 14. The overall winner of the competition, which was supported by Buckingham Palace and promoted through the BBC’s Blue Peter Programme, was 10 year old Katherine Dewar from Chester. Katherine, along with the winners and runners up from each age category, was invited to meet the Queen at a special reception at Buckingham Palace in February 2011. Blue Peter, commenting on the The BBC Blue Peter website said: “We’ve never had a competition like this! This is only the second ever Diamond Jubilee, and a child has never designed an official Jubilee emblem before". Commemorative coins and stamps, as well as teaching materials linked the 60th anniversary, will be available. Time Capsule The Royal Commonwealth Society has organised a special Jubilee Time Capsule, a digital archive of The Queen’s reign. You can contribute to this by picking a day and adding your memories and stories of that day. Contributors are invited to use photos, words or videos and talk about anything they want. Exhibitions There are special Royal Collection exhibitions at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse and a touring exhibition to five UK venues will mark Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee To mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the National Portrait Gallery is staging a touring exhibition bringing together sixty of the most remarkable and resonant images of Elizabeth II. This will be the first National Portrait Gallery exhibition to tour to British venues before being shown in London, opening in Edinburgh in June, Belfast in October and Cardiff and London in February 2012. The National Maritime Museum has a Royal River, Power, Pageantry and & The Thames exhibition from 27 April. The Queens Diamond Jubilee Year Queen Elizabeth II - 60th Jubilee Souvenir The Queens Coronation Day - 60th Jubilee Souvenir