A NATION CELEBRATES

GRANGER HISTORICAL PICTURE ARCHIVE/ALAMY This image: Queen Elizabeth II and members of the Royal Family on Buckingham Palace balcony after her Coronation on 2 June 1953

As Her Majesty The Queen marks 70 years on the throne, Sally Coffey and Henrietta Easton look back at the celebrations that swept across Britain in the Coronation year of 1953, plus how to celebrate in true British style this year

Right: One of the first official photographs of the Queen, taken by Dorothy Wilding on 26 February 1952, which will go on display at Buckingham Palace this summer Opposite: A children’s street party in Essex to celebrate the Coronation

Bunting hung between lampposts, fluttering its intermittent silent applause, Union Jacks were waved with fervour, sandwiches packed with coronation chicken (or the closest substituted ingredients that could be found) and thick slices of cake were served on tiered dishes, and tea was drunk by the pot-load.

When Britain celebrated the crowning of its new queen in 1953, as well as the crowds who watched events unfold in London, where the newly crowned monarch emerged onto the famous Buckingham Palace balcony, with her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, her son Prince Charles, and her daughter Princess Anne, up and down the country jubilant street parties took place.

Street parties are a traditional part of British culture. It’s thought the tradition first began in 1919 when a number of streets held ‘Peace Teas’– communal tea parties to celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the First World War.

Since then, they have been used as a way of marking historic moments and bringing people together. During street parties, households work together, bringing out indoor tables and chairs to line up in the middle of the street, and taking it in turns to make sandwiches, cakes and pots of tea.

Though street parties had been held to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935, the Coronation of his son, King George VI, and both VE and VJ days, the street parties of 1953 appeared even more animated. ➤

Street parties are used to mark historic moments and bring people together

At the time of the king’s death, the pair were relaxing at a remote game-viewing lodge, 100 miles from Nairobi

Above: The crowd cheer the Queen in her gilded carriage on her Silver Jubilee Opposite page, top to bottom: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Kenya in 1952 on the eve of her father’s death; Her Majesty on Accession Day, 6 February 2022

This was no doubt aided by the fact that the event was being televised, which led to many neighbours cramming around one TV set, or meeting in public spaces such as community halls, where TV licences had been granted.

Street parties fell out of favour in the later part of the 20th century, but in 2009 the tradition was revived under the guise of The Big Lunch, bringing communities together in the spirit of friendship, encouraging neighbours to get to know each other.

The Big Jubilee Lunch, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, was a roaring success, and so this year despite the fact most people have their own TV sets, the royal household is hoping British residents and members of the Commonwealth will come together once again to “share friendship, food and fun with neighbours” during The Big Jubilee Lunch on 5 June 2022.

The Big Jubilee Lunch will coincide with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, the culmination of a four-day weekend from Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 June in which Her Majesty The Queen’s historic reign will be celebrated.

It was 70 years ago this year, on 6 February 1952, that Her Majesty’s father, King George VI, died in his sleep at the family’s countryside home of Sandringham, Norfolk, and the young princess became Queen Elizabeth II, aged just 25.

On the day of her father’s death, Princess Elizabeth was less than a week into a trip to Kenya with Prince Philip, her husband. The couple were standing in for King George on a long-planned international tour that was also supposed to take them to Australia and New Zealand. The 56-year-old king had been too ill to travel.

At the time of the king’s death, the pair were relaxing at a game-viewing lodge, the now famous Treetops Hotel, 100 miles from Nairobi. Because their location was so remote, news of the king’s death took some time to reach the royal party. When Her Majesty heard the news, arrangements were made for the immediate return home and she wrote letters to all those she was supposed to visit, apologising for cancelling the remainder of her tour.

On the eve of the anniversary of Accession Day this February, a statement released by Her Majesty touched upon the fact that it is a bittersweet anniversary for her.

In the statement, Her Majesty said: “It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign.”

This year will also be bittersweet as it is Her Majesty’s first Jubilee without her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. In her statement she expressed her gratitude for her husband’s steadfast support: “I was blessed that in ➤

Above: The Goring hotel in London was awarded a Royal Warrant by the Queen in 2013 and will be serving a Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Events in London will begin with The Queen’s Birthday Parade on Thursday 2 June

Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it,” she said.

Although Her Majesty officially acceeded to the throne in February 1952, her Coronation did not take place until the summer of 1953.

Meteorologists had advised that 2 June 1953 would be the best date because it was predicted to be the day most likely to produce sunshine that summer – although, of course, it rained.

Since then, June has remained the preferred date for the Silver, Golden, Diamond and Platinum Jubilees as it promises warmer, sunnier weather than the first weekend in February ever could.

This year’s bank holiday weekend is set to include celebrations throughout the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and around the world.

Events in London will begin with The Queen’s Birthday Parade, otherwise known as the Trooping of the Colour, on Thursday 2 June, followed by the lighting of the Platinum Jubilee Beacons.

On Friday 3 June there will be a special Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. Saturday 4 June will see the Queen attend the Epsom Derby with members of the Royal Family. In the evening, the BBC will stage and broadcast a live concert from Buckingham Palace.

Sunday 5 June is the official day of The Big Jubilee Lunch and the Platinum Jubilee Pageant.

Aside from the official celebrations, many other events will take place this year. At The Goring, the London hotel awarded a Royal Warrant by The Queen in 2013, the Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea will recreate The Queen’s Coronation Menu dinner, while at Cliveden House, in Berkshire, its Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea will include royal favourites and nods to traditional dishes from the UK’s four nations. Visitors to Buckingham Palace this summer are in for a special treat with the photographic display Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession.

As Britons, we are known for our love of a good party, and what better reason to celebrate than the landmark achievement of our monarch, who has ruled for longer than any other monarch in British history and done so with such grace and devotion. Bottoms up.

To keep up to date with the Queen’s Platinum ➤ Jubilee Celebrations go to discoverbritainmag.com/ the-queens-platinum-jubilee to read our official guide.

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PLAN YOUR OWN JUBILEE PARTY

In Britain, residents are being encouraged to host their own street parties this Jubilee weekend (2-5 June 2022). Here’s how.

• Residents are advised to plan their party at least six weeks in advance – this is mainly to allow time to contact the local council should they wish to get a temporary road closure. You can always host the party on a private driveway instead, if the owner agrees • No risk assessment or license is needed (as long as you’re not planning to sell alcohol or use amplified music as one of the main purposes of the event) • You can serve food – though our advice is to club together with neighbours and arrange to bring one dish per household • Tea and other tipples are absolutely fine – it’s time to make use of your best china and crockery • Decorate and celebrate – bunting, balloons, confetti and streamers are all welcome, just make sure you clean up after yourselves • Have a flutter – raffles are allowed, as long as prizes are not rolled over from one event to another, no more than £100 is deducted for expenses and no more than £500 is spent on buying prizes • If all else fails, get some bunting, lashings of tea, cake, invite your friends over, and have a party for yourself at home Above: An afternoon tea for the Jubilee at Cliveden House Left: Children enjoying a street party for the 2012 Diamond Jubilee in south London

Fit for a QUEEN

As the UK’s leading retailer of Royal commemoratives, Goviers is marking this year’s Platinum Jubilee with a very special collection, from teddy bears and jigsaws to fine bone china

Goviers is the UK’s leading retailer of Royal commemoratives and has built up a worldwide reputation as the place to go for the very best pieces to mark any major Royal occasion. Originally based in the seaside town of Sidmouth in Devon, Goviers is now in the heart of the Potteries, just outside the city of Stoke-on-Trent. As well as working with the very best manufacturers, Goviers also designs and commissions our own ranges of fine bone china and wooden jigsaws, all proudly made in the UK.

The Platinum Jubilee is something that none of us is likely to see again. We hope that the collection we have put together to mark this occasion is a fitting tribute to the scale of Her Majesty’s achievement, and the lifetime of service she has given. These items will become a unique reminder of this historic moment for future generations.

Steiff is the biggest name in the world of teddy bears, and so, as you would expect, it has developed two special bears for the Platinum Jubilee. The Long to Reign Over Us musical bear is only available from specialist retailers in the UK, and as such is likely to be in very heavy demand. The Platinum Jubilee Bear is already sold out at the factory, but Goviers has an allocation from which a small number have been reserved for readers of Discover Britain. But, act quickly as they will not be available for long!

Merrythought Bears are made in the historic town of Ironbridge, still a family-owned business, that is justifiably proud of its heritage and its

fabulous bears. Goviers has commissioned an exclusive, limited-edition Queen Bear, of which a few remain, and a lavish Platinum Jubilee Bear with cape and crown.

Belleek, based in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, can trace its history back to 1857. Today the hand skills of the potters remain and are evident in the hugely complicated Queen’s Basket: a work of art that has fans all over the globe, and something we know the Queen herself appreciates.

Moorcroft is another iconic name from Stoke-on-Trent, with a proud history and a highly skilled workforce. Many of the pieces are still hand-thrown and turned, before being hand-decorated with tube-lined slip and then hand-painted. Moorcroft has chosen to depict the highly important Sagana Lodge on its beautiful commemorative vase. The lodge was given to HRH Princess Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip by the people of Kenya on the occasion of their wedding in 1947. It was while she was in Kenya that Her Majesty learned that her father, King George Vl, had died, and she had become Queen. At that moment, her life changed for ever.

Sheffield has always been the home of silver production in the UK, and family-owned company Carrs of Sheffield continues to uphold that proud tradition today. It is not often that a new commemorative hallmark is sanctioned by the British Hallmarking Council, but the Platinum Jubilee is one such occasion. Carrs has used this hallmark in the design of its range

of sterling silver frames. A talking point on antiques shows of the future we are sure. The team at Goviers has many years of experience of the pottery industry between them, and love to support the industry in the UK. With such an important occasion it seemed only fitting that we had our own design produced by artist Caroline Dadd. This detailed design has been adapted onto our own bone china shapes, which are made and hand decorated in Stoke-on-Trent, as well as onto a wooden jigsaw, also made in the UK. All the pieces in our range include We hope the collection important elements from Her Majesty’s reign, as well as insight into her favourite cake! is a fitting tribute to Character jugs have been made in

Her Majesty’s Stoke-on-Trent for decades and have a collector following all over the world. In recent achievement years the numbers produced have fallen, but the skills remain and Goviers has commissioned a special limited-edition colourway of this superb piece. The amazing likeness of Her Majesty is accompanied by one of her beloved Corgis. It gives us great pride that we have been able to put together such a varied and high-quality range of pieces to mark what we think is a truly fabulous achievement by the Queen, who has been a constant during most of our lives. Congratulations Your Majesty! n Visit our website www.goviers.co.uk for a wider range of pieces and to see the rest of our exclusive ranges.