• The British celebrate the 70 years of reign of Elizabeth II from June 2 to 5.

  • This is a first, no British monarch having lived so long.

  • The mixture of institutional ceremonial and popular celebration that the Jubilee represents dates back to Queen Victoria.

70 years of reign: this is the major milestone that Elizabeth II, 96, reached on February 6, and that the sovereign and her British subjects are celebrating this Thursday.

A platinum jubilee, with concerts, parades, street parties, rallies... And four days off for the inhabitants of the United Kingdom.

Exceptional measures for an exceptional moment.

Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, had “only” reached the Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years of reign.

A step that the current queen successfully passed in 2012.

“We haven't had a party like this since the Olympics!

»

“Celebrating 60 years on the throne, we did not yet know if we were going to reach 70 years”, remarks Louise Ekland, British journalist and author of

God Save my Queen,

who then told the festivities for BFM TV.

From now on, she is participating in the coverage of the jubilee this week on France 2.

»

We have to go back to the 19th century to find the first national celebrations of a royal jubilee.

In 1810, we celebrate the 50 years of reign of George III, without this finding an echo among the population.

This “mad king” is then subject to bouts of dementia.

"And he was not very popular, he was said to have been eager to install an absolute monarchy", specifies Philippe Chassaigne, professor of contemporary history at the University of Bordeaux-Montaigne and author of

History of England from the origins to our days

(ed. Flammarion).

“Victoria did not celebrate a silver jubilee in 1862, her husband Prince Albert having died shortly before, continues Philippe Chassaigne.

On the other hand, during her 50 years of reign in 1887, she had become very popular, because of her association with the power of the British Empire.

It is the first jubilee in the form that we know, with a service of thanksgiving and popular demonstrations.

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Assert British supremacy

This jubilee is then the occasion of a “colonial conference”, which brings together in London “all the ministers of the colonies having a certain autonomy”, specifies the historian.

A party, but also a tool for asserting the "hegemonic supremacy" of Great Britain.

Especially since it was then celebrated “in all the colonies, an empire that covered a quarter of the emerged lands”.

The same is true ten years later, at a party that represents "Victoria's apotheosis".

Procession in the city, mass at Saint-Paul, street meal, fireworks: the celebration, of which some filmed images remain, heralds those of the 21st century.

"The ceremonial aspect is part of the heritage of the official ceremonies that punctuate the history of the great dynasties", recalls Philippe Chassaigne.

But the jubilee is specific in that it associates the population with the celebrations.

From 1887, “spontaneous” street parties, according to the historian, were organized within the population.

A tradition that continues to this day, “during weddings, baptisms, celebrations of the royal family, says Louise Ekland.

The streets are closed, and big, big parties with decorations are taking place everywhere.

»

In 1935, the United Kingdom celebrated the silver jubilee of George V, grandfather of Elizabeth II.

"This is an opportunity to translate the country's attachment to a sovereign who, during the First World War, was seen as the father of the nation", explains Philippe Chassaigne.

It will then be necessary to wait until 1977, for the 25 years of reign of Elizabeth, for a new series of jubilees.

Party to get away

Each is part of an era, and in a specific context.

"Before Elizabeth's three previous jubilees, the same mistake was often made, to think that nobody would be interested," recalls Philippe Chassaigne.

In 1977, due to the economic and social crisis, even Buckingham planned to lay low.

In 2002, in the young and dynamic "cool Britannia" of Tony Blair, it was thought that the stilted monarchy would not interest anyone.

In 2012, the subprime crisis seemed too close.

Each time, the British showed their attachment to the queen, by organizing street meals.

There is undoubtedly a dimension of

escapism

[escape].

»

A dimension still present this year.

“After the pandemic, Brexit, Philippe's death, Harry's departure, Andrew's involvement in the Epstein affair... We want to party!

believes Louise Ekland.

It's unprecedented, a celebration for this extraordinary woman who is coming to the end of her life and wants to offer these moments of festivity to her subjects.

»

Elizabeth the Last?

Elizabeth II will a priori be the last for a long time to celebrate a platinum jubilee: it is unlikely that her successors will receive the throne as soon as she, who became queen at 25.

"She accompanied the life of the country, 80% of the British only knew her," says Louise Ekland.

It's as if she were part of our family, we meet around the events of her life – it's tinged with happiness, tragedy, weddings of princes and princesses, like in fairy tales.

Not everyone is a monarchist, but everyone is a bit of a fan of the Queen”.

But if the queen is well established, the questioning of the monarchy is growing little by little among young people.

A quarter of Britons hope for regime change after his death, according to a poll by think tank British Future.

Republicans do not hesitate to point out the cost of the festivities.

“A Guardian

editorial

proposed to take advantage of the jubilee to abolish the monarchy and make Elizabeth "the last" ... I do not think there is a real debate after her death in the United Kingdom, believes Philippe Chassaigne.

On the other hand, the question will arise in New Zealand, Australia, Canada [the British sovereign is head of state there, editor’s note].

It is also not insignificant that William and Kate visited these last two countries after their marriage and the birth of their first child... To maintain the attachment to the monarchy, we count on the next king.

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People

Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II: Prince Charles and Camilla will participate in public lunches

Culture

Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II: The Queen, a "stable institution" in a changing world

The program of the festivities

Thursday

: The Trooping the Colour, which traditionally celebrates the Queen's birthday, who was born in April, will kick off the festivities.

Then members of the Royal Family carrying out public engagements on behalf of the Queen will appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

In the evening, light signals will be lit throughout the UK, and in the British Overseas Territories.

Friday:

A Mass of Thanksgiving will be held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

For the occasion, a very rare occurrence, the bell of Grand Paul, the largest in the country, which dates from 1882, will be rung.

Saturday:

Elizabeth II is due to attend a horse race, then 22,000 guests – including 5,000 “key workers” during the pandemic – will join Buckingham Palace for a concert bringing together the biggest names in British and international music – including Queen, Elton John and Diana Ross.

Sunday:

A big festive parade will take place in the streets of London, and will end with a "God Save the Queen" concert led by singer Ed Sheeran.

In addition, throughout the four days of celebrations, street meals will take place throughout the country.

On Sunday, lunches are also planned in several Commonwealth countries and elsewhere: Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa... Finally, members of the royal family will go, in place of the queen, to meeting the public.

These “walkabouts” have been practiced since 1930: “After inaugurating a war memorial in Toronto, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth went to talk to veterans, says Philippe Chassaigne.

Very popular, the practice has continued.

We can no longer conceive of a royal appearance today without going to meet the British.

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