Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria surpassed her grandfather King George III as the longest-reigning British monarch on 23 September 1896, an event that she marked privately at Balmoral Castle. She wrote in her journal, "People wished to make all sorts of demonstrations, which I asked them not to do until I had completed the sixty years next June." The Diamond Jubilee was therefore an opportunity to celebrate Victoria's status as the longest-reigning monarch, in addition to marking 60 years on the throne. The sixtieth anniversary of her accession was celebrated on 20 June 1897 with a thanksgiving service at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. ==Events==

The occasion was marked publicly two days later by the Festival of the British Empire proposed by Joseph Chamberlain, who promoted the idea of a global celebration fit for a monarch ruling over 450 million people. The day was declared a bank holiday in Britain, Ireland and India. The British Army and Royal Navy as well as troops from Canada, India, Africa and the South Pacific took part in the procession in London. Seventeen other carriages carrying members of the royal family followed her. • Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada and Lady Laurier • George Reid, Premier of New South Wales • George Turner, Premier of Victoria and Lady Turner • Richard Seddon, Premier of New Zealand and Mrs Seddon • Hugh Nelson, Premier of Queensland and Lady Nelson • Charles Kingston, Premier of South Australia and Mrs Kingston • Gordon Sprigg, Prime Minister of Cape Colony and Lady Sprigg • Edward Braddon, Premier of Tasmania and Lady Braddon • William Whiteway, Premier of Newfoundland and Lady Whiteway • John Forrest, Premier of Western Australia and Lady Forrest • Harry Escombe, Prime Minister of Natal and Mrs Escombe Suffering from severe arthritis and unable to climb the steps, the Queen remained in her coach, so the short service of thanksgiving was held outside the building. Ireland In Ireland the celebration was protested strongly by Irish nationalists. A protest occurred at City Hall, Dublin attended by Maud Gonne and W. B. Yeats. Another demonstration, a procession led by James Connolly also occurred, which was attended by both Gonne and Yeats. This procession involved a mock funeral of the British Empire. It featured a brass band and a coffin with the words 'The British Empire' written upon it. ==Guests at the Jubilee celebrations==

British royal family • The Queen • The Empress Frederick, ''the Queen's daughter'' • The Hereditary Princess of Saxe-Meiningen, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' (representing the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen) • Princess Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen, ''the Queen's great-granddaughter'' • Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia, ''the Queen's grandson and granddaughter'' (representing the German Emperor) • Princess and Prince Adolf of Schaumburg-Lippe, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in law'' (representing the Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe) • Princess and Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' • The Prince and Princess of Wales, ''the Queen's son and daughter-in-law'' • The Duke and Duchess of York, ''the Queen's grandson and granddaughter-in-law'' • Prince Edward of York, ''the Queen's great-grandson'' • Prince Albert of York, ''the Queen's great-grandson'' • Princess Mary of York, ''the Queen's great-granddaughter'' • Princess Louise, Duchess of Fife and the Duke of Fife, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' • Princess Victoria of Wales, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • Princess and Prince Charles of Denmark, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' • ''Grand Duchess Alice of Hesse and by Rhine's family:'' • Princess and Prince Louis of Battenberg, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' • Princess Alice of Battenberg, ''the Queen's great-granddaughter'' • Princess Louise of Battenberg, ''the Queen's great-granddaughter'' • Prince George of Battenberg, ''the Queen's great-grandson'' • Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' (representing the Emperor of Russia) • The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ''the Queen's son and daughter-in-law'' • The Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ''the Queen's grandson'' • The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson'' • The Hereditary Princess and Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' • Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • Princess and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, ''the Queen's daughter and son-in-law'' • Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • Princess and Prince Aribert of Anhalt, ''the Queen's granddaughter and grandson-in-law'' (representing the Duke of Anhalt) • The Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne and Marquess of Lorne, ''the Queen's daughter and son-in-law'' • The Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Strathearn, ''the Queen's son and daughter-in-law'' • Princess Margaret of Connaught, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • Prince Arthur of Connaught, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Princess Patricia of Connaught, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • The Duchess of Albany, ''the Queen's daughter-in-law'' • Princess Alice of Albany, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • The Duke of Albany, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Princess Henry of Battenberg, ''the Queen's daughter'' • Prince Alexander of Battenberg, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, ''the Queen's granddaughter'' • Prince Leopold of Battenberg, ''the Queen's grandson'' • Prince Maurice of Battenberg, ''the Queen's grandson'' ''Other descendants of the Queen's paternal grandfather, King George III and their families:'' • The Duke of Cambridge, ''the Queen's first cousin'' • Augustus FitzGeorge, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed'' • The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, ''the Queen's first cousin and her husband'' • The Duchess and Duke of Teck, ''the Queen's first cousin and her husband'' • Prince and Princess Adolphus of Teck, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed and his wife'' • Prince Francis of Teck, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed'' • Prince Alexander of Teck, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed'' • Princess Frederica of Hanover and Baron Alphons von Pawel-Rammingen, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed and her husband'' • The Hon. Aubrey FitzClarence, ''the Queen's first cousin twice removed (and great-grandson of King William IV)'' Foreign royals • Ernst, Prince of Leiningen and Marie, Princess of Leiningen, ''the Queen's half-nephew and half-niece-in-law'' • Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the Queen's half-niece-in-law'' • Countess Feodora Gleichen, ''the Queen's half-great-niece'' • Count Edward Gleichen, ''the Queen's half-great-nephew'' • Countess Victoria Gleichen, ''the Queen's half-great-niece'' • Countess Helena Gleichen, ''the Queen's half-great-niece'' • Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed'' • Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ''the Queen's first cousin once removed'' • Prince August Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ''the Queen's first cousin twice removed'' • Albrecht, Duke of Württemberg, ''the Queen's first cousin twice removed'' (representing the King of Württemberg) • Prince Victor Emmanuel and Princess Elena of Naples (representing the King of Italy) • Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (representing the Emperor of Austria) • Crown Prince Vajiravudh of Siam (representing the King of Siam) • Prince Mahisara Rajaharudaya of Siam • Prince Albert of Prussia, regent of the Duchy of Brunswick • Prince Valdemar of Denmark (representing the King of Denmark) • Prince Arisugawa Takehito (representing the Emperor of Japan) • Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (representing the King of Sweden and Norway) • Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia • Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria (representing the Prince Regent of Bavaria) • Prince Frederick, Duke of Saxony (representing the King of Saxony) • Afonso, Duke of Porto (representing the King of Portugal) • William, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (representing the Grand Duke of Luxembourg) • Prince Vajihollah Mirza Seif-al Molk a.k.a. Amir Khan Sardar (representing the Shah of Persia) • Danilo, Hereditary Prince of Montenegro (representing the Prince of Montenegro) • Prince and Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar • Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (representing the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach) • Prince Mohammed Ali Tewfik (representing the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan) • Prince Charles de Ligne (representing the King of Belgium) Ambassadors • General Léopold Davout d'Auerstaedt • Carlos Martínez de Irujo y del Alcázar • Munir Pasha • Whitelaw Reid • Monsignor Sambucetti • Count van Linden. • Chang Yen Hoon • Min Young-hwan • Herr von Brauer ==Gallery==

File:Stamp Canada 1897 5c.jpg|Canada 5-cent Diamond Jubilee stamp, 1897 File:Helen Thornycroft - Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession passing over London Bridge, 1897.jpg|''Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession passing over London Bridge, 1897'' by Helen Thornycroft File:The Diamond Jubilee Service at St Pauls - C383 - Victoria Memorial (cropped).jpg|The Diamond Jubilee Service at St Paul's, panel at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata File:Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Service, 22 June 1897.jpg|''Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Service, 22 June 1897'' by Andrew Carrick Gow File:Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee Clock.jpg|Clock Tower in Exmouth erected in 1897, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria File:'In Honour of our Queen'- Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Review at Spithead, 26 June 1897 RMG BHC0645.tiff|'In Honour of our Queen': Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee Review at Spithead, 26 June 1897 File:Queen Victoria 60. crownjubilee.jpg|Victoria in her official Diamond Jubilee photograph by W. & D. Downey File:Jubilee crown Victoria Avenue 1897 Jersey.jpg|Victoria Avenue Jubilee Crown erected in Jersey for Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, 1897 File:Diamond Jubilee programme Toronto 1897.jpg|Front cover of a programme for a musical event held at Exhibition Park on June 22, 1897, Toronto, Ontario, Canada in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee File:Halifax NS-02375 - Victoria Jubilee Fountain (28446331143).jpg|The Victoria Jubilee Fountain at Halifax, Canada, built in 1897 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria File:Clock Tower, Shanklin Esplanade, Isle of Wight UK.jpg|The Clock Tower at Shanklin Esplanade, Isle of Wight, erected to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 ==See also==