Note: this review was first shared on my blog in August 2022, before the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
It’s probably not a surprise that’s there a book about the history of royal jubilees has been published during the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. What is a surprise is that A History of British Royal Jubilees is the first in-depth look at the concept of royal jubilees. Queen Elizabeth has experienced four of them after all.
Although the book appears to start in 1887 and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee, the origins of the celebration go back to 1809. One woman, sensing a fading appreciation for the monarchy – especially after the American Revolution – proposed a celebration for George III’s 50 years of rule. Author Jane Woolerton looks at how the idea took hold, what concepts were taken from the Biblical meaning of the word “Jubilee,” and how the day was ultimately celebrated with only one brief appearance by the ailing monarch. From there, she looks at the celebrations for Queen Victoria’s two Jubilees and the four for Queen Elizabeth, and how the concept has changed in some ways but stayed very much the same in others. She suggests that Jubilee celebrations have often coincided with a downturn in the royal family’s popularity, and remarks upon how the festivities can change popular opinion for the better.
Given the release date of this title in the United Kingdom, I was surprised to see just how much had been written about the Platinum Jubilee. While some events took place earlier in the year, or had been announced in 2021, I felt that it was still maybe a little too early to analyze the celebration overall. Will goodwill toward the monarchy last for the rest of the year? The 2012 events included the Summer Olympics held in London. This year, events after June included the Women’s European Football Championships (which England won) and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. There have also been some not good events such as members of government resigning.
Overall, I found A History of British Royal Jubilees to be informative, entertaining, and straightforward to read. My electronic copy of the book didn’t include any illustrations or photographs, which was disappointing. According to the publisher’s website, however, there are 32 mono illustrations which hopefully accentuate some of the portraits, monuments, and merchandise described in the book.
Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher, the opinions above are my own.
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