The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations 2012


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Currently the Queen, Philip, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and Harry do about 45% of all the royal duties done meaning 65% are currently carried out by others with the youngest of them being 46.

For them to now want Beatrice and Eugenie then Harry will have to give up all ideas of an extended military career as he and his wife will have to be performing about 400 engagements a year each to carry the load that the present Gloucesters and Kents perform along with the 62 year old Anne.

In 20 years time there will be no grandchildren to take up the slack of the current duties being performed by 8 people so William, Kate, Harry and his spouse - aged late 40s nearly 50 and the by then 80s+ Charles and Camilla will have to be doing more than they do now.

That is the problem - half the current duties or vastly more being done by way fewer people.

The argument that the lesser royals don't get press therefore they aren't important ignore the fact that to the individuals and groups who they touch they are still royal and people take pleasure in that personal contact with a member of the family.
 
I was waiting for Ms. Couric to kick off her shoes. However, I am grateful to the Queen, William and Harry for agreeing to do the program or we in the U.S. would have had no coverage at all. I found the program thinly disguised as being about HM. Katie is a gutsy lady. Remember, after her husband died of colon cancer (I think he was 38 or thereabouts when he died), she had a colonoscopy on live TV. She probably saved many lives.

All in all, it was an OK program.
 
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Katie Couric's special was anything "but" for those of us who are royal watchers. She didn't tell us anything new. However, it was nice to hear the royal grandchildren speak about their Granny. ;)

I loved seeing Andrew and the two York princesses. However, I'm wondering why were they interviewed during a year in which they seem to be getting shoved aside?
 
I enjoyed last night's special for what it was: fluff! I wasn't expecting anything hard hitting from the endlessly perky Katie Couric, and I did enjoy the interviews with The Duke of York and the royal grandchildren. This is the second time I've been especially impressed with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, the first being when I saw them interviewed on The Diamond Queen. They seem like cheerful, forthright young women who are able to be casual without lapsing into silliness.
 
From a jellybean Queen to a Monarch made from money, the most unusual portraits created for the Diamond Jubilee
As the Jubilee approaches, the nation has been united in their enthusiasm. To celebrate the monarch's incredible 60 years on the throne, artists everywhere have been showing their patriotic side, with many taking up the tools of their trade to show their devotion in the best possible way - by creating weird and wonderful portraits of the Queen. From the sublime (a miniature likeness of Her Majesty engraved on a golden pin head), to the ridiculous (a Haribo monarch made entirely of jelly sweets) the tributes are without exception truly astonishing...
Some, in fact most, of those are just amazing. I wish I were nearly as talented as the artists who have created these.
 
I enjoyed the interview and it is nice to hear from the grandkids. I would have loved to hear more from the Queen Bridesmaid (phillips cousin).
 
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I remenber see photos from 1986 for the elizabeth's 6o birthday, someone know why only andrew and sarah were with her in the balcony?
 
I remenber see photos from 1986 for the elizabeth's 6o birthday, someone know why only andrew and sarah were with her in the balcony?

The Queen's 60th birthday was a relatively low key affair and is the only time I can remember that her birthday has been so publically celebrated on the actual day of her birth. Accordingly, thousands of school children were invited to stand outside Buckingham Palace all carrying daffodils and the Queen did a walkabout to meet them and collect the flowers.
Andrew and Sarah attended with the Queen because they had become engaged the previous month and the event was a suitable occassion for Sarah to be introduced to a public event.
 
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Crown Princess Margarita and her husband will be in London between 2-5 June. They will be at a Garden party, at the concert, a jubilee lunch hosted by the Dorset community and will watch the Thames pageant and carriage procession.
So maybe other royals will be there, too!

Principesa Mo
 
Carlton House the Queens Horse came in first this evening at Sandown, a grand start to the weekend :)
 
Dig us out, there's a good boy! The moment Charles and Anne were buried up to their necks in sand by Prince Philip as Queen filmed it
Laughing and giggling as they hold their heads above the sand, it’s the kind of happy holiday snapshot that graces family photograph albums in homes across the country. Only the corgi sitting between the two children suggests that they might not be any old family after all. Pictured on glorious Holkham Beach in Norfolk in the summer of 1957, Prince Charles and his sister, Princess Anne, smile for the camera after being buried up to their necks by their father, the Duke of Edinburgh. The charming picture is a still taken from home video footage shot by the Queen herself.
Throughout the film, the Prince shares memories and recalls events from both her public and private life, adding his own commentary and insights. Among the great public moments of the reign for which he provides additional insight is the Coronation in 1953. In one sequence, he recalls how The Queen practised wearing the Coronation crown around Buckingham Palace – even at bathtime. ‘I remember my Mama coming, you know, up, when we were being bathed as children, wearing the crown. It was quite funny – practising,’ he says.
The fact that my Mama has been a constant feature on the scene has provided that sense, I think, of continuity in a time of immense change over 60 years,’ he says.
This picture is just adorable.
And I love the fact Prince Charles always calls Her Majesty "Mama"; it's a bit weird (for me) but so very sweet. :)
I cannot wait to see the entire television tribute; by the looks of it, it is going to be at least as delightful as the ones other members of the Royal Family had made.
 
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I loved that article, particularly the image of Charles and Anne in the sand. How very normal and familiar. I look forward to this documentary, I am sure Charles will provide us with lots of information and unseen clips.

Looking at the images, it is striking how much Zara looks like her mother as a young girl. The only difference was Zara had straight hair, whereas Anne has curls. I can see the resemblance between Louise too, but she is more like the Queen than Anne.
 
Queen Elizabeth II marks diamond jubilee - The Washington Post
The Washington Post, 29 May 2012

With royals riding high, Queen Elizabeth marks her marvelous year

Stung by royal breakups, relentless sniping over her tax-free status and a fire at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth II famously dubbed 1992 her annus horribilis, or horrible year. Two decades later, the world’s highest-profile monarch finds herself basking in the glow of something wholly different: an annus mirabilis.

One. Marvelous. Year.

Yet the queen is observing more than a milestone that puts her just three years shy of becoming Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. She is also symbolically marking the revival of a British royal house that has defied the odds by bringing a nation — and the world — back under its spell.

For a family once described as Britain’s most dysfunctional, and in a country where whispers of republicanism seemed to swirl with every new tabloid headline, the rising fortunes of the British royals amount to what observers call a public relations coup. Although support for the monarchy has always been strong, a new opinion poll by Ipsos Mori shows that eight out of every 10 Britons want to keep the monarchy — the highest level of support since the surveys began in the 1980s.

Many credit the supernova wedding that produced the global stars now known simply as “Will and Kate” with providing the House of Windsor its undeniable boost. But in the year since the bunting came down from Westminster Abbey, the royals appear to have solidified those gains, with even the gangling Prince Charles and his second wife, Camilla, scoring fresh points with the public. Most important, the younger generation of Windsors — including those now associated by marriage, such as Pippa Middleton, the sister of Catherine — have emerged as de facto pop culture icons rivaling the likes of Lady Gaga and Rihanna. Their fame, royal watchers say, has given the British monarchy’s international image a lift not seen since the early years of another royal couple — Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Yet as Britain prepares for the queen’s diamond jubilee, the monarchy more than ever is all about Her. “At 86, the queen is having her star turn,” said Dickie Arbiter, her former spokesman.

British newspapers on both the political right and left are running gushing tributes. Cities great and small are being festooned with Union Jacks for more than 10,000 street parties (about double the number held for last year’s royal wedding). Merchandisers are minting everything from diamond jubilee retro lingerie to vintage champagne. Andrew Lloyd Webber has penned a song. Two national holidays have been declared.

...through it all, and with her husband and consort, Prince Philip, by her side, she would stand as a regal symbol of state from the first icicles of the Cold War to the first moon landing, from the birth of the Beatles to the death of singer Amy Winehouse, from the once-constant threat of Irish republican terrorism to the 2005 bombing of London subway trains by homegrown Islamist extremists.

"...there’s a lot to be said for a constitutional monarchy,” royal biographer Robert Lacey said. “We are recognizing the queen more and more as the independent national figure that unites all of us and the one constant in our lives for the past 60 years.”

To herald the diamond jubilee, Buckingham Palace has launched a charm offensive, with the queen’s national tour over the past several months drawing crowds that would be the envy of any aging rock star. But royal watchers also say that the palace has clearly been using this year to begin the process of passing the royal torch, with the queen dispatching younger royals on a blitz of domestic and international tours that has raised the family’s profile and spread the gospel of the House of Windsor near and far.

A poll released this week shows that about 40 percent of Britons are eager to see the popular William leapfrog his father to the throne, compared with roughly 46 percent who felt that way about one year ago. Still, almost no one believes that Charles will step aside, and few predict a succession crisis. Observers chalk that up largely to a queen who after six stalwart decades has somehow managed to endear the archaic notion of inherited monarchy to an otherwise progressive nation.
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do you think we will see baby Isla during the Diamond Jubilee weekend? Maybe during the river pageant?
 
Warren said:
A poll released this week shows that about 40 percent of Britons are eager to see the popular William leapfrog his father to the throne, compared with roughly 46 percent who felt that way about one year ago.
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Thank you for the article Warren. It's an interesting perspective. I always enjoy reading the Post & NYT articles about the British Royals. They usually manage to get a republican (not as in party) slant even when being generally complimentary.

The above quote is interesting. So what the polls are saying is that 60% of those polled either want Prince Charles to succeed or have no opinion and the numbers in favour of William succeeding instead have dropped despite he & Catherine never being out of the news in the past year.

The other point that struck me is the comment about celebrity. I have had the feeling that this is one thing the Royal Family have been desperate to avoid. Diana was most definitely a celebrity and that overshadowed the serious business of the monarchy and, in particular, the Prince of Wales. I think that is one reason why Catherine has tried to stay relatively in the background. Celebrity fades fast whereas the monarchy must be stable and there for the long haul.

The media might be trying to create celebrities out of the younger Royals but they seem to be fighting against it. I think that is a good thing.
 
The above quote is interesting. So what the polls are saying is that 60% of those polled either want Prince Charles to succeed or have no opinion and the numbers in favour of William succeeding instead have dropped despite he & Catherine never being out of the news in the past year.
I've realised this looks as if I'm having a dig at Prince William, I'm not. I can't see any reason why William won't make a fine King when his time comes but that should be after his father. It was more that over the past year Prince Charles has been comparatively ignored by the media while William has been in the news constantly. In those circumstances I would have expected the number of people wanting William to be the next King to have risen rather than fallen.

Anyway, back on topic, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Fortunately I have Foxtel and so can see the celebrations on UKTV. Even so, unfortunately, they will be in the middle of the night during a working week so thank goodness for the DVR.
 
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Dig us out, there's a good boy! The moment Charles and Anne were buried up to their necks in sand by Prince Philip as Queen filmed it
This picture is just adorable.
And I love the fact Prince Charles always calls Her Majesty "Mama"; it's a bit weird (for me) but so very sweet. :)
I cannot wait to see the entire television tribute; by the looks of it, it is going to be at least as delightful as the ones other members of the Royal Family had made.

That picture is beyond precious :wub: :D. I love the expression on the dog's face. It's like he's a little confused as to what the fuss is about :D. I too love that he calls Her Majesty 'Mama'. It's very sweet and intimate. I remember when he gave a speech after the Golden Jubilee Concert, and his opening line was 'Your Majesty...Mummy'. I thought it was a nice touch. He was letting us know that this woman is more than a monarch; she's a beloved mother as well.

I loved that article, particularly the image of Charles and Anne in the sand. How very normal and familiar. I look forward to this documentary, I am sure Charles will provide us with lots of information and unseen clips.

Looking at the images, it is striking how much Zara looks like her mother as a young girl. The only difference was Zara had straight hair, whereas Anne has curls. I can see the resemblance between Louise too, but she is more like the Queen than Anne.

That was the first thing that popped into my head. The resemblance to Louise is pretty close. If one didn't know, one would have thought it was indeed Lady Louise (though on a closer look, Louise is more of a carbon copy of her paternal Granny).


Thank you for this video. It made me tear up. Such a tender and touching tribute. His Highness is letting us know that Her Majesty is more than just a head of state; she's a beloved mother who adored spending time with her family.
 
The above quote is interesting. So what the polls are saying is that 60% of those polled either want Prince Charles to succeed or have no opinion and the numbers in favour of William succeeding instead have dropped despite he & Catherine never being out of the news in the past year.
I've realised this looks as if I'm having a dig at Prince William, I'm not. I can't see any reason why William won't make a fine King when his time comes but that should be after his father. It was more that over the past year Prince Charles has been comparatively ignored by the media while William has been in the news constantly. In those circumstances I would have expected the number of people wanting William to be the next King to have risen rather than fallen.
I see what you mean, but I wouldn't really read too much into that. There has been polling that shows William is currently the most popular member of the RF, even more so than the Queen. But, Charles and Camilla have had some decent press lately - the Scandinavian tour, Charles's turn as a weatherman and a DJ etc.

Ultimately, though, I think small movements in polls of in and around 5% is really only within the margin of error. I think most polls on this issue will likely have Charles and William each within the 40% area +/- 5% or so, with the remainder as 'don't knows'. It's all moot though, because however much they public might 'prefer' the young, good looking William, they know that Charles will be the next monarch.
 
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The weather in London is currently looking abit dodgy for the weekend, so I do hope the most we'll get are a few showers and nothing more. But I am worried about the carriage procession! Not wishing to raise the Golden State Coach question again as that has been answered, but I wonder if it will be on standby in case of rain? The 1902 State Landau can be covered, but only has small windows, whereas the GSC has alot of windows!
 
I think it was said somewhere that in case of rain the Australian State Coach will be used.
 
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Oh that makes sense, thanks Stefan! How could I forget all the other carriages available LOL!
 
The Queen and DoE are visiting Northern Ireland on 26-27 June. They'll be in Enniskillen and Belfast.

This is the first time in the Queen's reign that her plans to visit NI have been pre-announced. Security concerns had previously meant that no one outside the security services knew the Queen was coming over until she suddenly appeared, which has meant it's been very difficult for people here to see her. I'm hoping to pop along and see HM in the flesh for the first time!
 
I'm glad the situation is now relaxed enough to forego the precautions.
And hope you'll be able to see the Queen; it would be very special, especially this year of all years. :)

Raining on their parade: Wet weather expected to dampen jubilee celebrations but that doesn't stop military show of force on deserted streets of London as they fine-tune Tuesday's procession
Warnings by forecasters that bad weather will dampen the Diamond Jubilee celebrations didn't stop the armed forces from getting up at the crack of dawn this morning to rehearse a spectacular Jubilee parade through the deserted streets of the capital. With the sun barely risen, hundreds of soldiers mounted on horseback tested out the route for the State Procession, which will act as the grand finale to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. These photos of the full dress rehearsal give a sneak glimpse of the glorious procession that will be unveiled on Tuesday when the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh attend a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Looks fantastic!
Let me tell you this; if Brits put as much effort into Olympics as they do with the Jubilee celebrations, it will be spectacular.
 
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Intimate pictures of the royal family discovered in attic of unknown photographer set to go on public display for the first time
Some of the most intimate photographs of the royal family captured at key moments in history will go view to the public from today. The collection of 40 never before seen photographs, some of which the Mail Online can exclusively reveal here, include a photograph of King Edward VIII thought to have been taken just before his abdication speech, the Queen as a young princess before she came to the throne on pictures taken during her coronation and silver jubilee. The images were only discovered in an attic last year following the death of mysterious photographer W. Jones. His family contacted royal photographer Ian Pelham-Turner, who has included W.Jones pictures in an exhibition of his own images of the royal family, which will go on display at Debenhams' flagship store on Oxford Street over the jubilee weekend before touring the country.
- The Queen's Coronation picture
- The Queen in her Coronation Gown
- The Queen and Prince Philip at the State Opening of the Parliament in November 1952 (her first as a Queen)
- Prince Philip and Prince Charles share a joke as they arrive for the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977

- Princess Elizabeth in South Africa in 1947 (lovely picture)
- The Duke and Duchess of York, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret during George V's Silver Jubilee celebrations
- Queen Elizabeth, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret on a tour of HMS Vanguard South Africa in 1947

- Edward VIII preparing for his abdication speech
- King George VI and Queen Elizabeth with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his wife in 1938
 
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