While the scale of the celebrations is likely to eclipse any other in the history of the British monarchy, Elizabeth II is by no means the first sovereign whose jubilee has inspired their subjects to pull out all the stops.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
When did royal jubilees begin?<\/h2>\n
The history of official jubilee celebrations only goes back as far as George III<\/a> (reigned 1760\u20131820). But the origin of jubilees can be traced to the Bible<\/a> \u2013 the Old Testament uses the term to describe the marking of a 50-year milestone. Since then, the naming of these celebrations has followed the traditions of wedding anniversaries: 25 years is called a silver jubilee, 50 years a golden jubilee, 60 years a diamond jubilee, and 70 years a platinum jubilee.<\/p>\n Only three other British monarchs before George III achieved a golden jubilee: Henry III<\/a> (r1216\u201372), Edward III<\/a> (r1327\u201377) and James VI & I<\/a> (reigned in Scotland 1567\u20131625, and England 1603\u201325).<\/p>\n Although little is known about how they celebrated, the records hint at some similarities to the present day. Edward III was the earliest English ruler to mark his golden jubilee publicly. This began with a procession from the Tower of London<\/a> accompanied by trumpeters, followed by a spectacular week-long joust at Smithfield.<\/p>\n Most monarchs might not have notched up a half century on the throne, but nearly all marked the anniversary of their accession each year \u2013 notably Elizabeth I<\/a>, who held accession day tilts, theatre, poetry and costume parties. In fact, she made her accession day such a prominent part of the court calendar that it continued to be celebrated into the 18th century as a national holiday.<\/p>\n Yet even Elizabeth\u2019s accession day celebrations struggle to rival the splendid global pageantry of the jubilees of George III, Victoria (r1837\u20131901) and George V<\/a> (r1910\u201336).<\/p>\n Here, we chart the highs and lows of their celebrations, from the thronging crowds who turned out to see them to personal battles with grief and mental instability\u2026<\/p>\n In contrast to every other golden jubilee since, George III marked the beginning, not the end, of his 50th year on the throne. The \u201cGrand National Jubilee\u201d, as it was known, began on 25 October 1809 with festivities across the United Kingdom and the British colonies. The governor of India threw a f\u00eate in Bombay on 4 June, the king\u2019s birthday, while in Britain the price of candles had begun to rise from as early as March that year as people planned for indoor jubilee parties.<\/p>\n Most of the events were scheduled around the anniversary itself, and shops were closed so that everyone could take part. They kicked off with balls in Basingstoke and Wokingham and, on 25 October, the king and queen, along with three of their children, attended a private service of thanksgiving at St George\u2019s Chapel, Windsor. Other festivities included a firework display at Frogmore<\/a>, a 50-gun salute from the Tower of London and a service of thanksgiving at St Paul\u2019s Cathedral.<\/p>\n George III\u2019s subjects entered fully into the spirit of things. A number of children born during jubilee year were christened \u201cJubilee George\u201d or \u201cJubilee Charlotte\u201d in honour of the royal couple; military deserters and prisoners of war were pardoned; and monuments were erected, such as a statue of George III in his favourite seaside resort, Weymouth. There was plenty of jubilee merchandise, too, including a series of jugs and medals.<\/p>\n Sadly, because of his declining health<\/a>, George III was unable to take part in most of the celebrations. From early in his reign, he had suffered from what he termed his \u201culcer\u2019d mind\u201d \u2013 bouts of mental instability that became ever more serious and prolonged as the years passed.<\/p>\n On 25 October 1810, the king appeared in public for the last time at a reception to mark the end of his 50th year on the throne. It was obvious to all those present that the \u201cmadness\u201d had returned. Early the following year parliament passed the Regency Act, conferring George III\u2019s authority upon his eldest son and heir, who became prince regent and the future George IV<\/a>.<\/p>\n The next monarch to reach the 50-year milestone was George III\u2019s granddaughter Queen Victoria<\/a>, who had ascended the throne in 1837, aged just 18.<\/p>\n It was with some difficulty that her ministers persuaded her to go through with the celebrations for her golden jubilee in 1887, because she had largely withdrawn from public life after the death of her husband, Prince Albert<\/a>, in 1861. On the anniversary itself (20 June) the queen had breakfast outdoors under the trees at Frogmore, close to where Albert lay buried.<\/p>\n She then travelled by train from Windsor to London for a \u201clarge family dinner\u201d at Buckingham Palace<\/a>. \u201cWe dined in the supper room, which looked splendid with the buffet covered with the gold plate,\u201d she recalled in her journal.<\/p>\n At the service of thanksgiving held at Westminster Abbey<\/a> the following day, Victoria refused to wear her crown and robes of state, substituting them for a bonnet laced with diamonds and travelling in a simple landau coach. In so doing, she proved more in tune with the public mood than her ministers. At a time of economic hardship, the pageantry of a full-scale royal event would have caused widespread resentment. Vast crowds that \u201cstretched to the limit of sight in both directions\u201d, wrote the American writer Mark Twain<\/a>, turned out to cheer the queen\u2019s procession.<\/p>\n Ten years later, Victoria became the first monarch in British history to celebrate their diamond jubilee, which was made a Festival of Empire. Among the gifts that Victoria sent across the globe to commemorate the occasion was a white silk shawl to Harriet Tubman<\/a>, a formerly enslaved African-American woman who had become an abolitionist. The significance of the colour was lost on neither woman: white was synonymous with freedom and power.<\/p>\n On 22 June 1897, the queen was driven in a six-mile procession through London, witnessed by huge crowds. Thanks to the wonders of what was then cutting-edge technology, it was also broadcast to cinema audiences across the world, with 40 camera operators stationed along the route. An open-air service was held outside St Paul\u2019s so that the queen could take part from within her carriage rather than climb the steps to the cathedral.<\/p>\n Lame from rheumatism and using a wheelchair, her health was declining rapidly. But the adoration of the crowds left a deep impression on the queen, who wrote in her journal: \u201cNo one ever, I believe, has met with such an ovation as was given to me\u2026 The cheering was quite deafening & every face seemed to be filled with real joy. I was much moved and gratified.\u201d<\/p>\n There would not be another golden jubilee until Elizabeth II\u2019s in 2002. The only other jubilee of any kind between the reigns of Victoria and Elizabeth was that of George V, who celebrated his silver jubilee in May 1935.<\/p>\n A willingness to respond to his people\u2019s desires had made George a popular king. He had become the first British sovereign to record a Christmas broadcast<\/a>, and he acted as a vital figurehead for the nation during the First World War. As a result, the silver jubilee celebrations prompted an outpouring of affection among his subjects.<\/p>\nGeorge III: a last hurrah<\/h3>\n
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Queen Victoria: out of mourning\u2026 into the modern age<\/h3>\n
Victoria refused to wear her crown and robes of state, substituting them for a bonnet laced with diamonds and travelling in a simple landau coach. In so doing, she proved more in tune with the public mood than her ministers <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
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<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>George V: turning the monarchy into a religion<\/h3>\n
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