Having ascended to the throne at only 18 years old on 20 June 1837, Queen Victoria ruled for over 63 years and celebrated her life and reign through a series of Royal Jubilees.
Now, she is Britain’s second-longest reigning monarch, and throughout this blog we will be exploring the two jubilees that she celebrated during her incredible reign.
The Golden Jubilee
The fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession was signified on the 20th June 1887, in which 50 foreign kings, princes and princesses, as well as those in charge of British overseas colonies, attended Buckingham Palace for a celebratory banquet.
Before travelling via train from Windsor Station to Buckingham Palace, the Queen enjoyed breakfast outdoors at Frogmore, where Prince Albert, her late husband had been buried.
She wrote in her diary that the dinner took place in the Supper room, which had been decorated with gold to symbolise the Golden Jubilee. She spoke about how well-dressed everyone who attended was, and that the King of Denmark and Willy of Greece were amongst those who joined her. Once the banquet had finished, all of the guests accompanied Queen Victoria into the Ballroom where her band performed.
On the 21st June 1887, she was escorted by Colonial Indian cavalry and engaged in a procession while in an open luxury carriage through London to Westminster Abbey, where prayers were made for the Queen. Later that day, she returned to the Palace and went to her balcony where she was cheered by the crowd. She then handed out brooches made for the Jubilee to her family and later that evening attended another banquet while wearing a gown embroidered with silver roses, thistles and shamrocks. Once the banquet had finished, she received a procession of diplomats and Indian Princes and then finally she was wheeled into the palace garden to watch fireworks.
The Diamond Jubilee
The sixtieth anniversary of Queen Victoria’s accession was celebrated on the 20th June 1897 with a series of events. This was the first Diamond Jubilee of any British monarch, and so the day was declared a bank holiday in Britain, Ireland and India in tribute to her ruling over 450 million people. A procession through London kickstarted the celebrations in which the British Army, Royal Navy and troops from different continents took part. Queen Victoria broadcast a message to all of the British Empire and quoted: “From my heart I thank my beloved people. May God bless them”.
That morning, Queen Victoria, accompanied by Princess Helena and the Princess of Wales, participated in an open carriage parade from Buckingham Palace to St Paul’s Cathedral in order to attend a thanksgiving service. Unfortunately, due to her severe arthritis, the Queen was unable to access the church and so the service was held outside. Thousands of London and Manchester residents celebrated this jubilee in the streets where free ale and tobacco was distributed. Queen Victoria then returned to Buckingham Palace once the tour of London, which totalled 6 miles, had finished.
The next day, the Queen visited 10,000 school children who had gathered at Constitution Hill, and this was followed by attendance at a reception in Slough. Celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee lasted for a fortnight, and a Buckingham Palace garden party and banquet were also assembled to mark the occasion. The Jubilee Tower, Cunningham Clock Tower and other memorial fountains were built to commemorate this Diamond Jubilee.
Celebrating two jubilees in a lifetime is a massive achievement, and you can find incredible coins to commemorate Queen Victoria HERE.