On February 6 this year, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. This event marks 70 years of service to the United Kingdom (UK), the Realms, and the Commonwealth. Celebrations will continue throughout June. Among these is a Caribbean tour by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate will visit Jamaica in a few weeks as part of a tour to visit Commonwealth nations across the Caribbean. This expedition is symbolic as it is their first official overseas tour since their visit to Ireland in March 2020; they abandoned all other visits due to the travel restrictions associated with the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
A Celebration Fit for A Queen
Queen Elizabeth is no stranger to historic jubilee celebrations. She became the longest-living British Monarch and commemorated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Grand events that garner the country’s participation have marked jubilees, such as concerts, competitions, and parades.
This year’s event roster is no less exciting, with festivities stretching as far as the Commonwealth countries, where jubilee beacons will be lit in each capital city to acknowledge The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Over 1,500 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and UK Overseas Territories.
Other celebrations this year include The Derby at Epsom Downs, Platinum Party at the Palace, and The Queen’s Green Canopy- an initiative that has seen over 60,000 trees being planted in the UK and will continue to generate the planting of large celebration trees, majestic new avenues of trees, urban planting, and expansive new forests that will benefit future generations.
Past Royal Visits
The royal family has a tradition of visiting Jamaica. The last member of the royal family to visit Jamaica was Prince Harry in 2012, who came as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of that year. He made quite a splash during his time here as he took to the tracks to run alongside the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt.
Queen Elizabeth II has also had a memorable track record of frequent visits to Jamaica, with the reigning monarch visiting every decade from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Perhaps the most notable visit was her trip in 2002 when she infamously dined in darkness after two power outages at King’s House, the official home of the Governor-General.
This rich history began, however, with Princess Margaret. She was the official envoy of the Royal family to hand over independence to Jamaica from the colonial power of Britain on August 6, 1962.
