Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her platinum jubilee and kicks off her celebrations for 70 years on the throne with a new portrait and inviting local community groups to Sandringham residence.
The British royal's platinum jubilee will be a first for a monarch of the country and is a commemoration of the 95-year-old's reign. She first became the queen of Britain and more than a dozen other regions, including Canada, Australia, and New Zealand after the death of her father King George VI on Feb. 6, 1952.
Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee
Buckingham Palace officials said that the queen's guests at her Sandringham residence in the east of England included Angela Wood, a cookery student in 1953 who helped to create Coronation Chicken. The dish is a curry and mayonnaise-based dish that was invented to celebrate the queen's reign and is still a popular meal in modern society.
Additionally, the British royal cut a celebratory cake that a local resident baked and she also heard a rendition of "Congratulations" played by a concert band. Despite seeing few public appearances since her hospital stay in October, Elizabeth has continued to carry out her official duties well into her 90s, as per Inquirer.
The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said that Elizabeth took her duties seriously but was much more relaxed when it came to herself. On the other hand, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised the queen for her "inspirational" sense of duty and her continued dedication to serving the nation.
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Johnson's remarks, despite himself facing criticisms and scandals, are a testament to Queen Elizabeth's longevity and immutability. The royal has become an unmatched anchor of stability despite the region struggling from the effects of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Times reported that time has not been on Elizabeth's side, as she will be celebrating her platinum jubilee in the absence of her husband, Prince Philip, who died in April. In recent months, the royal's health has continued to deteriorate. The situation has forced her to cancel several public appearances, including an event that was made to be a remembrance service for the war dead in November.
70-Year Reign
Buckingham Palace also released a new portrait of the 95-year-old monarch as part of the celebrations of the queen's seven-decade-long reign. Photographer Chris Jackson took the photograph of the royal in the Saloon at Sandringham House earlier this week. The image shows Elizabeth alongside one of her iconic red despatch boxes.
The box contains documents from the government that the royal will work on reviewing as part of her official duties. Angela Kelly designed the lime green tweed shift that Elizabeth is seen wearing in the photograph. The queen was also wearing two diamond ivy leaf clips that the Queen Mother gifted for her birthday.
Jackson posted on Instagram where he congratulated the monarch for reigning for 70 years, calling it an incredible achievement. He said that it was a huge honor for him to take the queen's photograph for the commemoration of her platinum jubilee, Yahoo Life reported.
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