Queen's Golden Jubilee

 

The year 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's Accession to the Throne.

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queenThe year 2002 marked the 50th anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Accession to the Throne.

The celebrations did not fall on the actual 50th anniversary of the Queen's accession. Queen Elizabeth came to the throne on 6 February 1952 at the age of 25 on the death of her father King George VI. She was crowned in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953 in a spectacular ceremony watched by a huge television audience.

Traditionally, Royal jubilee celebrations mark the anniversary of Accession. However, The Queen's Accession Day on 6 February is the anniversary of the death of King George VI, her father. It was, therefore, not a suitable date for public celebration. The main celebrations for the Silver Jubilee in 1977 were also held in June.

How the Country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Queen's accession.

A nationwide royal tour and a star-studded concert at Buckingham Palace was the heart of celebrations for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The palace grounds were open to the public for the first time for the free pop concert.

The main celebrations of the 50th anniversary of The Queen's Accession to the Throne took place between May and July 2002 See timetable of events

  • An additional public holiday, on June 4, allowed four days of celebrations of Her Majesty’s 50-year reign. The Spring Bank Holiday, which had been due to fall on 27 May, was moved.
  • On Saturday June 1, a Classical concert was held in Buckingham Palace Gardens.
  • Sunday June 2 saw Jubilee Church services and bell-ringing across the UK.
  • There was a Pop concert in Buckingham Palace Gardens followed by Beacon-Lighting and Firework display on June 3.
  • Jubilee Day wason June 4. The Queen attended a National Service of Thanksgiving in St Paul's Cathedral and during the afternoon there was a Golden Jubilee Carnival Pageant in the Mall.
  • The Queen undertook several trips around the United Kingdom between May and July 2002. The trips included England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. See table at the bottom of the page.
  • There was also an equestrian extravaganza involving 1,000 horses and a celebrity cast of about 2,000. "All the Queen's Horses" was staged at the 2002 Royal Windsor Horse Show against the backdrop of Windsor Castle on 16, 17 and 18 May 2002. The finale of the show recreated the 1952 Coronation procession, which featured the Gold State Coach pulled by eight grey horses.
  • The Commonwealth Games, was opened by The Queen in Manchester on 25 July.
  • The Queen also tour Commonwealth countries, including Canada, in the autumn.
  • A UK town was granted city status by The Queen to mark the Jubilee.
  • Children were given special lessons about the Commonwealth and Britain's imperial history.
  • A new covered footbridge across the River Thames. The bridge known as Jubilee Bridge and is the first covered bridge across the Thames since the building of the original London Bridge in 1176.

Find out about the UK Flag
The Queen's outline itinerary of Golden Jubilee visits in 2002

Date

Location

1 - 2 May South West of England (including Cornwall, Devon and Somerset)
7 - 8 May North East of England (including Tyne and Wear and Durham)
10 May South East of England (Buckinghamshire and Berkshire)
 16-18 May  All the Queen's Horses, a multi-million pound Golden Jubilee equestrian spectacular in Windsor
23 - 29 May Scotland

1 - 4 June
(Find out more)

1st
2nd
3rd
4th

Jubilee Weekend in Windsor and London (In detail)


Classical Concert in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.
Jubilee church services and bell-ringing across the UK.
Pop Concert in the Palace grounds.
The Queen will attend a National Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral, followed by a Golden Jubilee lunch at Guildhall in the City of London.

7 June The South East of England (West Sussex)
11 - 13 June Wales More info.
17 June The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the Service of the Order of the Garter at St George's Chapel, Windsor. Followed by a Dinner for European Sovereigns, Windsor Castle
 
18-22 June The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will attend Royal Ascot
25 June West London.
Uxbridge - The Queen will unveil the statue “Anticipation” created by Anita Lafford. Followed by a visit to Gunnersbury Park and All Saints Parish Church, Kingston-upon-Thames. They will then travel to Bushy Park to meet a number of local charities and childrens groups.
 26 June Dinner for representatives of the Armed Services, Windsor Castle
27 June Visit to the Armed Forces, Portsmouth
2 - 3 July West Midlands (including Staffordshire and Warwickshire) More info.
11 - 12 July Yorkshire and the Humber (including West Yorkshire and the East Riding)
17 - 18 July East of England (including Suffolk and Norfolk) More info.
24 - 26 July North West of England (including Merseyside and opening the Commonwealth Games in Manchester)
31 July -1 August East Midlands (including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire), and Yorkshire and the Humber (North Lincolnshire)
4 August Closing the Commonwealth Games in Manchester
5 August North West of England (Lancashire) More info.

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