Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty.
| Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II | |
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Collage of commemorations of the jubilee, Clockwise: The London Eye illuminated in gold; Concorde parade flight with the Red Arrows; Flower arrangement in Stafford; Routemaster in Golden Jubilee livery; Equestrian statue of the Queen erected in Windsor Park; Union Street in Aberdeen with Golden Jubilee bunting
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| Genre | Jubilee of the monarch of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms |
| Date(s) | 6 February 2002 |
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| Previous event | Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II |
| Next event | Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II |
| Website | goldenjubilee.gov.uk |
Despite the deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, in February and March 2002 respectively, and predictions in the media that the anniversary would be a non-event, the jubilee was marked with large-scale and popular events throughout London in June of the same year, bookended by events throughout the Commonwealth realms. Elizabeth attended all of the official celebrations as scheduled, along with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; over twelve months, the royal couple journeyed more than 40,000 miles (64,000 km) to the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, then around the United Kingdom, and wrapped up the jubilee year in Canada. Numerous landmarks, parks, buildings, and the like, were also named in honour of the golden jubilee and commemorative medals, stamps, and other symbols were issued.
There were six key themes of the Golden Jubilee celebrations: 'Celebration', 'Giving Thanks', 'Service', 'Involving the Whole Community', 'Looking Forward as Well as Back', and 'Commonwealth'.