Queen first to reach Sapphire Jubilee

The Queen is about to make history as the first British monarch to reach their Sapphire Jubilee.

The Queen is to make history when she becomes the first British monarch to reach their Sapphire Jubilee.

On February 6 - the anniversary of the day she became Queen - Elizabeth II will have reigned for 65 years.

But there are no grand festivities planned to mark the head-of-state's new milestone.

The Queen is, at this stage, not due to be out and about on official engagements on the landmark day.

The sovereign, who missed church over Christmas due to a heavy cold, will undoubtedly be matter of fact about this historic occasion.

In 2015, when she thanked the nation for its kind messages after overtaking Queen Victoria to become the longest-reigning monarch in British history, she admitted bluntly that the royal record was ''not one to which I have ever aspired''.

She added: "Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception."

The Queen celebrated her 90th birthday last year and had a busy schedule commemorating the occasion, with a walkabout, beacon lighting and a black tie dinner for family and friends in Windsor on her actual birthday.

A weekend of national celebrations, including a party on The Mall, was held for her official birthday in June.

It is likely that any large-scale jubilee celebrations will be reserved for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 - although any events will take into account the fact that Queen is due to turn 96 that year.

The Duke of Cambridge is about to become a full-time royal this year and will increase his official duties on behalf of the Queen.

William and the Duchess of Cambridge are carrying out an engagement on Monday February 6, but not to do with the Queen's record-breaking reign.

The anniversary of Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952 is a poignant time for the Queen, marking the day her father George VI died.

She often spends Accession Day privately at Sandringham, having staying there through the Christmas period. She usually makes her return to Buckingham Palace a few days later.

Royal gun salutes will be staged in London on February 6, as is the tradition.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world