Queen Elizabeth Marks Sapphire Jubilee

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Queen Elizabeth the Second of the United Kingdom recently made history when she marked 65 years on the throne in what Buckingham Palace sources described as Sapphire Jubilee. By this attainment, she becomes the longest-serving British monarch in history surpassing her Great Great Grand Mother, Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years.

Elizabeth II has been Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand since February 6, 1952. She is Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of 12 countries that have become independent since her accession: Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The Sapphire Jubilee is, on all scores, a milestone unprecedented in the annals of royalty. But the Monarch was reluctant to celebrate the day publicly. It was, however, observed with 41 gun salute in London. The low-key event was also marked by the palace through the re-release of a 2014 portrait of her wearing a sparkly suite of sapphire and diamond jewellery. The necklace and pendant earrings were wedding gifts the queen received from her father in 1947.

The Royal Mint also marked the anniversary with a series of commemorative coins, including a five-pound coin with an imperial state crown on one side, and a famous quote from a 1947 speech delivered by a then-Princess Elizabeth. “My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”

Elizabeth inherited the throne when she was 25. She officially became the longest-reigning monarch in British history on September 9, 2015. She did so by surpassing the previous record of 63 years and 216 days held by her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.

Queen Elizabeth’s father acceded to the throne on the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was pronounced the heir presumptive. Young Elizabeth married Prince Philip November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

One of the highpoints of her reign is that it witnessed four generations of heirs to the throne – Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince George. Another first by her. From Elizabeth’s birth, the British Empire continued its transformation into the Commonwealth of Nations. By the time of her accession in 1952, her role as head of multiple independent states was already established. In 1953, the Queen and her husband embarked on a seven-month round-the-world tour, visiting 13 countries and covering more than 40,000 miles by land, sea and air. She became the first reigning monarch of Australia and New Zealand to visit those nations. In the course of her reign, the Queen has made hundreds of state visits to other countries and tours of the Commonwealth; she is the most widely travelled head of state.

The years, 1960s and 1970s, which were part of her reign, saw an acceleration in the decolonisation of Africa and the Caribbean. Over 20 countries gained independence from Britain as part of a planned transition to self-government.

The Queen was born Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926 in London, England to the second son of George V – Albert, the Duke of York and the Duchess of York, the former Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. Her sister Princess Margaret was born four years later. In 1936, when she was 10, her uncle, King Edward VIII, later became the Duke of Windsor after abdicating the throne when he insisted on marrying a divorcee, Mrs Simpson, against royal tradition.   She is married to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and they have four children- Prince Charles, the heir apparent, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Edward, the Earl of Wessex.

As the Queen ages gracefully, her approval rating remains very high. Regardless, the much-liked great grandmother is gradually passing most of her royal duties on to her children and grandchildren. At almost 91, she may yet have more years of service to her peoples across the Commonwealth and we join them in praying for her good health.

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