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There are three types of royal holidays: birthdays, corronation days, and jubillees. Each by by definination vary with each different monarch. Long ruling monarchs like Victoria and Elizabeth II have so many birthdays that their birthday celebrations become virtually established national holidays. And we have included them on our English national holiday page. Coronations areone time affairs. And with modern heathcare become fewer in the 20th century. In the 20th century there were only four coronaztions (Edward VII, George V, George VI, and Elizabeth II). There are also really long term celebratiins of the reigns of reiugniung monarchs--jubilees. A jubilee is an anniversary of an event, usually denoting the 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, or 70th anniversary. It vis of biblical origins. The term is today mostlt commonly used to denote the celebrations associated with the reign of a monarch after a milestone number of years have passed. Perhaps the most famous is Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubille seen here . We don't have many 19th century images of these celebrations until Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897). The 20th century photographic record is much more extensive. And like Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II was a very long-living monarch, the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century. But unlike Victoria, Elizabeth's reign was purely ceremomial. Victoria reigned for 63 years and huge changes in the role of the monarchy during that period. Elizabeth has already exceeded that phenomnal reign and is still going.
Queen Victoria until Queen Elizabeth II was England's/Britain's longest ruling monarch, reigning for 63 years. Huge changes took placed in Britatin during her reign, in society, the economy, and the English contitution. It was onr of the most consequential reigns in English history. Although Prince Albert died (1861), much of Victoria;s success was due the Albert's progressive guidance. It is an irony of history that a German played a major role in placing Britain toward a transition to a modern democracy. (What a change in world history if such a progressive thinker had riusen to the Prussian throne.) Britain at the time was the most powerful country on earth, although as World War I wouls show, bir tghe most powerful in Wurope. The Empire was at what might be called its imperial zenith. It included more than a quarter of the world’s population with possessions on every populated continent. The Queen in 1896 became the longest reigning British monarch, surpassing the reign of George III. Victoria requested that celebrations be delayed until June 1897--the 60th anniversary of her accession. Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain proposed that the Queen's Diamond Jubilee also be a 'Festival of the British Empire' to celebrate ehat he described a as Britain’s 'true crown jewels' —its colonies. Here we see the Children's Parade in Norwhich for Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Originally celebrated on a 75th Anniversary, this changed in Britain, with the 60-year mark of Victoria's reign, which was commemorated as The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and was celebrated on June 22, 1897.
King Edward VII died (May 1910). As Queen Victoria had such a long reign that Edward's reign was shirt, only about a decade. The coronation would take over a jear to prepare. The new King had objections to the still harsh anti-Catholic wording of the Accession Declaration that he was required to make at the opening of his first Parliament. He refused to open parliament unless it was changed. As a result, the Accession Declaration Act 1910 was shortened to remove the most inflamatory phrases. George and Mary's coronation took place at Westminster Abbey (June 1911). It was celebrated by the Festival of Empire in London. The now coronated King and Queen visited Ireland for five days (July 1911). They were warmly received. Thousands of people lining the route of their procession to cheer. The King and Queen travelled to India for the Delhi Durbar, where they were presented to an assembled audience of Indian dignitaries and princes as the Emperor and Empress of India (December 1911). King George wore the newly created Imperial Crown of India at the ceremony. He announced moving the Indian capital from Calcutta to Delhi--the traditional capital of the Mogul emperors. He was the only Emperor of India to be present at his own Delhi Durbar. They travelled throughout the Briyosh-controlled sub-continent. The King took the opportunity to indulge in a persinal pssion--hunting. Big gane hunting was not possible in Britain. It was during his tour of the subcintinent. In Nepal he shot 21 tigers, 8 rhinoceroses and a bear over a 10 day hunting sdpree. He was sescribed as a keen and expert marksman. Back in Englkand, he shot over a thousand pheasants in six hours at Hall Barn, the home of Lord Burnham (1913). The King later admitted that 'we went a little too far'.
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