Silver, Golden, Diamond!

How Hertfordshire celebrated past royal Jubilees
By Caroline Churton

In June 2012 Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years since her accession to the throne in 1952 - an achievement matched by only one other monarch, Queen Victoria, over 100 years ago in 1897. Before that Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1887, and in the following century both King George V and Queen Elizabeth II celebrated their Silver Jubilees in 1935 and 1977 respectively.

The photographs in the gallery below show how the people of Hertfordshire celebrated all these occasions. Click on the thumbnails to view the photographs and see the caption beneath each one.

If you have any stories or photographs of your own Jubilee celebrations, past or present, please add your memories to this website.

Photo:A parade in Fore Street, Hertford, to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887
Photo:A dinner given for the old people of Hertford to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. It appears to have been held in the Corn Exchange; this would be before the stage was put in. The open space visible through the windows at the end would be where the Beadle's office, and the covered market, were built - and later demolished to give way to shops and offices
Photo:The old people of Hertford are entertained in the Corn Exchange as part of the celebrations to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887
Photo:Watford Volunteers, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, 1887, Cross Roads Corner
Photo:The Lord Mayor planting an oak tree at Old Cross, Hertford. Sir George Faudel Phillips, of Balls Park, was Lord Mayor of London in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The Borough of Hertford marked the occasion by conferring the Freedom of the Borough on Sir George, and by the planting of an oak before the library. The tree never really flourished and was later removed. Sir George contributed to the library considerably in its early days
Photo:Royston High Street and the procession to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, 1897
Photo:Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, Market Place, Royston, 1897
Photo:Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Watford, 1897. Procession through Market Place
Photo:Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, 1897, High Street, Watford
Photo:Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee bonfire in Watford, 1897. Standing (left to right): Mr Marcus Boff, Mr Waterhouse, Mr H. Camp, Mr F. Fisher, Mr Charles Brightman, Mr E. J. Slinn, Mr C. P. Ayres, Mr James Darvill, Mr George Capell, Mr Clifford, Mr Andrews, Mr E. J. Jackson and M. W. Tearl
Photo:The Jubilee Arch, Bushey, marking the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935
Photo:Bonfire in Hatfield Park to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of King George V in 1935
Photo:King George V's Silver Jubilee procession, 6 May 1935, at Tring
Photo:This picture was taken outside the Waterford Arms at Waterford at the time of King George V's Silver Jubilee in 1935. On the extreme right is Mr Walter Wrangles, whose daughter, Mrs Sutterby, of Church Street, Hatfield, sent [the Herts Mercury] the photograph. Also in the group are 'Grandfather' Edwards, 'Jobie' Edwards, Bill Andrews and the publican, Sid Wells
Photo:1935 - King George V's Silver Jubilee year. The photograph shows a ceremonial tree-planting on the Campus, Welwyn Garden City, in May of that year
Photo:Army Day in Hertford, staged as part of the town's celebrations to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee in 1977. The photograph shows No. 5 (Herts) Company, 5th Royal Anglian Regiment TAVR, plus the 5th Battalion band marching through Hertford for the first time since the regiment received the Freedom about seven years previously. The Jubilee parade had special significance for the company's commanding officer, Major Colin Albany, for, as a drummer boy, he took part in the Queen's Coronation parade
This gallery was added by Caroline Churton on 27/05/2012.

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