The year 2022 marks 70 years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II—the UK’s longest-reigning monarch. Here at Evan Evans, we’re celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime occasion with access to royal tours and events. We take you behind the royal curtain to discover key moments in the history of the British royal family.
This week, we’re exploring the remarkable history of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Celebrate with us as we look back on some of the most memorable moments of her reign.
A young Princess Elizabeth weds Prince Phillip of Greece, 1947
The love story between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip Mountbatten would go on to become the foundation of a family line that would carve an extraordinary legacy through British history. The handsome pair married at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, November 20 in a ceremony that is still remembered very fondly today. Prince Phillip survived to be the longest-serving royal consort in British history.
Elizabeth crowned the Queen of England, 1952, June 2
From the very first moment, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II reign was a first for the UK. The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, held at London’s Westminster Abbey, was the first and only coronation so far to be broadcast live on television. Her Majesty was to be the 39th sovereign of the UK and the eighth Queen of England.
First trip to Australia, 1954
The Queen rarely misses an opportunity to show members of the Commonwealth just how important they are to her. Her first trip to Australia in 1970 made her the only reigning monarch ever to pay the country a visit. It would pave the way for successive visits from the Royal Family later. At the time in 1954, her visit was the country’s single biggest event. Her arrival at Farm Cove attracted over one million visitors in a town that only had 1.8 million residents.
Silver Jubilee, 1977
The Queen’s Silver Jubilee marked 25 years of her reign and established Elizabeth II alongside some of the UK’s best-known monarchs. To mark the occasion, the Queen conducted goodwill visits in a massive 36 countries around the world, including Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea.
Queen meets Pope John Paul II, 1980
Never in history has a British Monarch visited Vatican City. That is, until Queen Elizabeth visited in October of 1980. The historic significance of this event embodies a normalization of relations between the Crown and the Catholic Church after hundreds of years of difficulty. As the Head of the Church of England, the Queen’s visit was regarded as a generous act of friendship with the Vatican.
Prince Charles marries Lady Diana, 1981
Prince Charles is the first in line to the throne once Queen Elizabeth passes away. His marriage to Lady Diana was therefore the subject of immense public interest. Diana would go on to become a much-loved, though a very controversial member of the Windsor household. It’s said that, through nuance and suggestion, her Majesty the Queen showed her approval of both Diana and their marriage.
The Golden Jubilee, 2002
In 2002, the Queen was mourning the loss of both her mother and her sister, Princess Margaret. As a result, the Golden Jubilee was expected to be something of a non-event. Instead, the Queen came out stronger than ever. It was marked by large-scale events across the UK and the Queen and Prince traveled over 40,000 miles around the world to show her dedication to her nation and the commonwealth.
Becomes the longest-reigning Monarch, 2015, September 9
For decades, Queen Victoria was England’s longest-reigning monarch, with a total of 63 years, 7 months and 2 days on the throne. That record came to an end in 2015 when Queen Elizabeth II spent her 23,210th day as Queen. By this point in her reign, the Queen had been served by 14 different Prime Ministers, two of whom were women. The Queen said that the title of the longest-serving monarch was, “not one to which I had ever aspired”. However, prime minister David Cameron insisted that the Queen had been, “a rock of stability” in a changing world.
Platinum Jubilee, 2022
That brings us all the way up to this year. The British government has promised a once-in-a-generation show to mark the momentous occasion in British history. Here at Evan Evans, we’re celebrating with our range of royal tours, helping to showcase the magnificent story of Her Majesty and her royal household. Take a peek behind the royal curtain with these fantastic tours.
