Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this year. There will be year-long events and festivities throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world to celebrate The Queen’s 70th year on the throne.

I think Queen Elizabeth is a very striking example of coincidences in life. Although she was of royal lineage, she was not even heir to the throne until her uncle Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson in 1936. George VI became the king and his elder daughter Elizabeth became the heir to the throne.

Seventy years ago, in early February 1952, Princess Elizabeth was on holiday with her husband Philip in Treetops lodge hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya where she learned of the death of her father King George VI and that she became The Queen. The incidence is very well portrayed in the “The Crown“, the famous Netflix TV series about the life of Elizabeth II where I suppose the expression in Princess Elizabeth’s face must be very close to reality: confusion and sadness due to the loss of her father first but then acceptance and responsibility of the heavy load on her shoulders she is to bear at age 25: Becoming The Queen of the United Kingdom. Queen Elizabeth was coronated at the royal church Westminster Abbey in June 2, 1953.

“… . On my twenty-first birthday I welcome the opportunity to speak to all the peoples of the British Commonwealth and Empire, …. .I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. …” (Queen Elizabeth, April 21, 1947, royal.uk)

She became The Queen owing to some coincidences. However, it was certainly not the coincidences that led her celebrate her Platinum Jubilee but rather her solid character, principles, sacrifices and her sense of duty and devotion to her people. The Queen has been served by 14 British prime ministers starting from Winston Churchill including Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair,  who came to see her each week at Buckingham Palace. President Biden, whom she welcomed at Windsor Castle in June 2021, was the 13th American president to meet her. Current Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised The Queen for her “inspirational sense of duty and unwavering dedication to this nation.”(nytimes.com / usmagazine.com)

The Queen also attaches great importance to public and voluntary service and has links with over 600 charities, military associations and professional bodies as Royal Patron or President. (royal.uk)

Queen Elizabeth II was born in April 21, 1926 in Mayfair, London as the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth). After her father acceded to the throne which led her becoming the heir presumptive, she was educated privately at home. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War and served in the British army as a mechanic and a military truck driver.

In November 1947, Queen Elizabeth married her third cousin Philip Mountbatten of the Royal Navy (Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh), a former Prince of Greece and Denmark – five years before she became Queen. They had four children: Prince Charles and Princess Anne, who were born before she became The Queen, followed by Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.

Queen Elizabeth II is The Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. She is also The Queen of the Commonwealth Realms (14 realms in addition to the UK including Australia, Canada and New Zealand) and Head of the Commonwealth (an association of 54 independent countries, mostly former British colonies, including the realms). The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made many state visits together. In November 1953, a few months after the coronation, they made a six-month tour of the Commonwealth, the first visit being to Australia and New Zealand.

Queen Elizabeth faced many crises either political or familial throughout her reign. She had to deal with many issues such as Britain’s economic recession, decolonisation of Africa, devolution to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and Brexit. She called 1992 as ‘annus horribilis‘ (horrible year), the year her elder son Prince Charles (Prince of Wales) and his wife Diana (Princess of Wales) as well as Prince Andrew and Sarah (The Duke and Duchess of York) separated. Moreover, The Queen’s daughter Anne (the Princess Royal) divorced and a fire broke out at the royal residence of Windsor Castle. Due to the criticisms over the royals’ lifestyle during the recession, in 1992 The Queen, although personally exempt, agreed to pay taxes on her private income. The criticisms intensified with the divorce of Charles and Diana in 1996 and the death of Diana, who had been very popular among the public, in 1997 in a car crash in Paris. Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles (Duchess of Cornwall) in 2005. (britannica.com)

Princess Diana was very popular either in Britain and around the world. Elton John had called her as “Good bye England’s rose” in the song he wrote as a tribute to Diana. She was best known for her charitable work on behalf of the homeless, disabled people and the children, and her campaign against land mines.

Diana was also appreciated for her devotion to her two sons, Prince William (The Duke of Cambridge) and Prince Harry (The Duke of Sussex), well brought up and following in the footsteps of their mother in terms of charitable work. Prince William is the patron of Centrepoint, the homeless charity whose patron was Diana before she died. He served in the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Prince Harry has served in the British Army for ten years.

Prince William and Prince Harry and their families are also popular who are frequently featured in the international press. Prince William is married to Catherine Elizabeth (Kate) Middleton (The Duchess of Cambridge) since 2011. Kate is very active in her royal duties and gets a lot of sympathy for it. Prince Harry is married to Meghan Markle (The Duchess of Sussex) since May 2018. His marriage to Meghan, a former American actress and a divorced lady, is one of the evidences of the modernized face of the British monarchy, as is the marriage of Prince Charles to Camilla, a divorced lady with whom he was romantically involved before.

Prince Philip had been very effective in the modernization of the monarchy. He had suggested that Queen Elizabeth’s coronation be televised in 1953 and approved a royal family documentary. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth was the first ever to be televised and watched by the millions in the UK and around the world. 1969 BBC documentary titled “Royal Family“ was about the family of Queen Elizabeth II and was aiming to show royal family as real people. In 1972, the documentary was taken down at Queen Elizabeth’s request. (dailymail.co.uk)

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan had a tense relationship with the media and they had sued some of the British newspapers for violating their privacy. At the beginning of 2020, they have announced that they intended to step back as senior members of the royal family and work to become financially independent. The Palace confirmed that they would no longer receive public funds for Royal duties. On 31 March 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially stepped down as senior royals. They are balancing their time between UK and North America, continuing to honor their duty to The Queen. Part of The Queen’s statement about their decision included:
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. …” (January 18, 2020, royal.uk)

Prince Andrew (The Duke of York) had also stepped back from public duties with the permission of The Queen due to a case brought against him in US. In January 2022, the Palace announced that his military affiliations and royal patronages have been returned to The Queen. (royal.uk)

Queen Elizabeth was always able to stay calm in the face of crises and adopt to the changes of the time. She supported the decision of her grandchild and his wife although she did not have the chance for a more independent life. She did not even have a genuine private life and lived her whole life in a way the Crown entails: in complete devotion. She still continues to do so. Queen Elizabeth lost both her sister (Princess Margaret) and her mother (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) in 2002, her Golden Jubilee year. She carried on. Her consort Prince Philip passed away last year and she carries on – still in service of her people as she had promised in her famous speech at 21. The Queen’s 70 years of service is being celebrated this year – her Platinum Jubilee.

Besides her strong character, she turned to her religious faith, sense of duty and her belief in the principle that the Crown comes first during tough times, which helped her overcome the downsides she has faced – as portrayed in the Netflix TV drama “The Crown”. In one episode of the series, Churchill advises Queen Elizabeth as follows:

“Never let them see the real Elizabeth Windsor …, never let them see that carrying the crown is often a burden …, let them see only the eternal.”

The other thing we see in the series ‘The Crown’ is the Balmoral Castle, The Queen’s beautiful private estate in the enchanting Scotland located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire, which has been The Queen’s retreat for years. It is the Scottish home of the Royal Family where The Queen spends the summer every year. The official residence of the monarchy in Scotland is the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The Queen spends a week every summer with visits across Scotland celebrating Scottish culture (Hollyrood week).

The other home of The Queen privately owned by The Royal Family besides the Balmoral estate is Sandringham House in Norfolk. The Queen usually celebrates Christmas at Sandringham, where she is joined by members of The Royal Family. Another retreat of The Queen has been the Windsor Castle in Berkshire. She has used the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spent the weekend, and as an official Royal residence especially for a month over Easter. However, Queen Elizabeth has moved from her official London residence, Buckingham Palace, to Windsor Castle in March 2020 for isolation during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has been based at the Castle for two years since then.

Queen Elizabeth has a very colorful personality also evident in her clothing style and her many different interests or hobbies. She is also known to have a humorous nature. The Queen always wears bright and bold colors and is glamorous in public appearances with her wide-brimmed hats, brooches and her chic handbags matching with her shoes. Regarding her choice of bright colors, The Queen had once said: “I have to be seen to be believed.” (nytimes.com)

The Queen has been engaged with many different hobbies. Driving, horse riding, hunting, gardening, dancing, collecting stamps and spending time with her corgis are counted among many. It is admirable that she has been so active despite her official engagements and charitable work. Queen Elizabeth’s interest in horses and horse races is well known. She has been seen horse riding in her estates even in her 90s and attends horse races regularly. I have also read that the Queen loves Scottish country dancing and was hosting an annual dance during her summer stays at Balmoral. The annual Ghillies Ball, a private event, was being held in the Ballroom at Balmoral Castle for estate and castle staff, The Queen’s close neighbors and local community.

This year’s Platinum Jubilee will be The Queen’s first jubilee without her beloved consort Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at age 99. They were married for more than 70 years. On their 50th wedding anniversary, in 1997, Queen Elizabeth made a speech in which she had said of Prince Philip:
“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years.“ (Nov. 20, 1997, royal.uk)

Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

At the beginning of the year, Fortnum & Mason launched a pudding competition (Platinum Pudding Competition) inviting UK residents aged eight and over to submit their pudding recipes. The winning pudding will be served at street parties and celebrations to which the creator will be invited. The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, a project encouraging communities to plant a tree for the Jubilee, was launched and thousands of trees have been planted across UK. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom and UK Overseas Territories as a jubilee tradition.

Celebrations will focus on an extended bank holiday from June 2 until June 5. Events include The Queen’s traditional Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), the Epsom Derby horse race at Epsom Downs in Surrey, one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite events which she will attend, a live concert from Buckingham Palace (Platinum Party) that BBC will broadcast, the Big Jubilee Lunch to which people across the country are invited to share food and fun, and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant (a festival attended by dancers, musicians, military, children and volunteers). The Queen’s private estates, Sandringham and Balmoral, will also be open for residents and visitors to enjoy the celebrations across the long weekend. (You can visit the websites royal.uk and royal.uk/platinumjubilee for more details).

Queen Elizabeth’s actual birthday is on 21 April, but her official birthday is celebrated in June as is the case with previous British monarchs, to benefit favorable weather conditions for the birthday parade. ‘Trooping the Colour’ will begin at Buckingham Palace, joined by members of the Royal Family on horseback and in carriages. At the end of the parade, the Queen and the Royal Family will appear at the Palace balcony.

You may also take note that The Royal Collection Trust hosts special exhibitions of early portraits of Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle in honor of her Platinum Jubilee. Next events are scheduled in July 2022. ‘Superbloom at The Tower of London‘ is another pleasant event scheduled for June 1, 2022. Check the link platinumjubilee.gov.uk for more jubilee details and map of events.

Downton Abbey

It is known that Queen Elizabeth likes to watch TV. One of her favorite programs is said to be “Downton Abbey“, British award-winning historical series created by Julian Fellowes set in the early 20th century inspired by real life events. The series centers on the English estate named Downton Abbey in Yorkshire and follows the Granthams and their family of servants. By coincidence, I have started to watch Downton Abbey at Netflix during writing this post. I enjoyed the series very much but I had to take a break after a couple of seasons to be able to finish the post. I shall remember that I first watched the series in the Platinum Jubilee year of The Queen.

Queen Elizabeth had visited “Highclere Castle” in Newbury close to Berkshire where the series is actually filmed and had stayed there as a guest of the Carnarvon family (nytimes.com, telegraph.co.uk). As in the series, Highclere Castle was converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers during the First World War and run by the 5th Countess of Carnarvon (highclerecastle.co.uk). I suggest that you watch this series, that takes you back to the era it passes in with glamorous details, to understand the aristocracy and their pure and noble way of thinking as well as the proud principled people serving them.

Epilogue

It has given me joy to read about the activities of British Royal Family for years. I think they are a means of inspiration with their qualified way of life, royal duties, charitable work and delicate manners and their vision arises hope for a better world.

Today is the actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth. I congratulate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and her birthday with my kindest regards. She has been a source of inspiration and admiration for many generations and continues to be so.

Happy Birthday Dear Queen Elizabeth! Happy Platinum Jubilee!