Welcome to the
DIAMOND JUBILEE
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II took place at various times over the year with the most significant happening in May and June 2012.
The main UK events took place on an extended bank holiday weekend and included the Diamond Jubilee Pageant and the Diamond Jubilee Concert.
Diamond Queen
The Diamond Jubilee marked the 60th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. The official Diamond Jubilee portrait was painted by Australian-born portraitist, Ralph Heimans.
Commemorative events were held throughout the Commonwealth, however events in the UK were significantly scaled down to save the public the expense during a period of austerity.
The UK was also set to host the Summer Olympics in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012 with 10,518 athletes from 206 countries due to descend on the capital.
Jubilee Emblem
A contest to design the official UK emblem for the Diamond Jubilee was held by the BBC children’s programme Blue Peter.
The winning design, announced in February 2011, was created by ten-year-old Katherine Dewar.
The colourful design depicts the Union Jack with a crown above it displaying the number 60. There are three diamonds on either side.
Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Diamond Jubilee Pageant was an equine pageant held between 10 and 13 May 2012, featuring 550 horses and 1,100 performers from 17 countries.
Billed as the first major event of the Diamond Jubilee, the pageant was held over four days in a 3,000-seat arena on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The theme was inspired by the Queen’s love for horses and the numerous foreign visits she made over the years.
The show featured military and equestrian displays of riding, as well as dancing and music, with horses from all over the world taking part with the exception of Africa who were represented by zebras.
The spectacular was broadcast by ITV on Sunday, 3 June 2012 under the title All the Queen’s Horses.
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant took place on 3 June 2012 with 670 boats travelling along the river from Wandsworth to Tower Bridge, passing under fourteen bridges.
The flotilla was separated into different sections which included various sized vessels which were preceded by Music Herald Barges.
The royal family travelled onboard the Spirit of Chartwell which was specially decorated with a gilt canopy with red drapery like royal barges of the 17th and 18th centuries. The royal barge was preceded by fifty-five dinghies bearing the flags of the Commonwealth.
Diamond Jubilee Concert
The concert was held outside Buckingham Palace on The Mall on 4 June 2012 and was organised by Take That singer-songwriter Gary Barlow.
Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborated on a song for the jubilee entitled “Sing” which was performed for the first time at the concert by a choir from many Commonwealth countries.
Thousands of free tickets were made available to the public and the winners were drawn randomly in a ballot. Giant television screens were made available on the Mall and in local parks for those unsuccessful. Concert ticket holders were given access to the palace gardens for an afternoon picnic before the main event.
The concert included performances by Elton John, Shirley Bassey, Kylie Minogue, Paul McCartney, Steve Wonder, Tom Jones and Alfie Boe.
