The Coronation 60th Anniversary Service of HM Queen Elizabeth II

Telegraph Writers and Editors Select the Queen as 'Greatest Briton' of the Year

Telegraph writers and editors have chosen 25 notable Britons of 2012 – here are our top 10 – including our Briton of the Year 

 

The Queen not only celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, giving us all a reason to remind ourselves what is best about Britain, but also played a starring role in the opening ceremony of London 2012 Olympics Photo: PA

 

The Queen, Our Greatest Briton
 

When historians look back on 2012, one Briton will define the year’s momentous and joyous events more than any other. The Queen not only celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, giving us all a reason to remind ourselves what is best about Britain, but also played a starring role in the opening ceremony of London 2012. 

Who will ever forget the delicious moment when Her Majesty greeted James Bond at Buckingham Palace, before appearing to parachute out of a helicopter into the Olympic Park? Our Olympians and Paralympians may have given us a month’s worth of unashamed patriotism, but the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was the culmination of a lifetime of service to the country. 

At the centre of the celebrations were four remarkable days in June, during which the Queen defied age and the elements to attend the Thames Pageant, the splendidly over-the-top Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace and a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s, followed by a Carriage Procession and Balcony appearance. She had already taken on a daunting schedule of travel at the beginning of the year, as she set out to visit every corner of the United Kingdom, determined that as many of us as possible should see her in her landmark year; and she ended 2012 in the same spirit, shaking off a cold to lead her family to church on Christmas Day. Her Majesty has not only defined a year, but has helped shape an entire era, and for that she is our Greatest Briton. 

Read the rest of this entry at The Telegraph >>

 

 

Christmas Broadcast of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

"I believe from my heart that the cause which binds together my peoples and our gallant and faithful allies is the cause of Christian Civilization."  

King George VI

Broadcasting on December 25, 1939

A Royal Wedding: Sixty-five Years Ago Today

Congratulations to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Today they mark 65 years of marriage

They are an example to follow but also a splendid and royal rebuke to our times

From the Catholic Herald
By Francis Phillips

The Queen says the Duke of Edinburgh is her 'strength and stay' (Photo: PA)

Congratulations to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh who have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary today. It is a significant achievement. I don’t mean the longevity aspect which is out of their hands, a mixture of luck and good genes; I mean the example they have set the country of a faithful and enduring marriage, based on mutual affection and respect. According to the Telegraph report, Prince Philip wrote to the Queen Mother on his honeymoon, saying that his wife was “the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me and my ambition is to weld the two of us into a new combined existence that will not only be able to withstand the shocks directed at us but will also have a positive existence for the good”.

The Diamond Queen, Episode 1

Episode 1, Parts 2, 3 and 4

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Marked with Seven-Mile Long Flotilla

Celebrations marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will include a seven-mile long flotilla of 1,000 boats along the River Thames, it has been revealed. 

From The Telegraph

By James Orr

How the royal barge, The Spirit of Chartwell, will look as it passes under Tower Bridge   Photo: EPA

Organisers of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant said the “unique spectacle” would travel under 14 bridges and take 90 minutes to pass any given point.

It will include a total of nine separate sections of differing vessels, from Dutch barges and steam boats to row boats and even kayaks.

The flotilla will be led by Gloriana, a hand-built, 88-foot rowbarge, while the second section will see boats carrying the flags of Commonwealth nations. 

Lord Salisbury, Chairman of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Foundation, said: “Our aspirations for this wonderful tribute to The Queen are coming together very well.

“We are delighted that The Prince of Wales has agreed to be our Patron. This is a hugely ambitious project and it is gathering momentum day by day.”

The event to celebrate the Queen’s 60 years as monarch will take place on Sunday, June 3, between Putney and Tower Bridge. 

Canada Reinstates Word 'Royal' into Names of Air Force and Navy after 43 Years

Canada's Conservative government, stressing traditional ties to the Queen and the monarchy, is reinstating the names Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy after a gap of 43 years. 

  
From The Telegraph

The Liberals removed the "royal" designation in 1968 when they amalgamated the branches of service and called the military the Canadian Forces.

General Walter Natynczyk, chief of the defence staff, announced the decision to bring back the word "royal" for the official names of the two branches of the military in a memo posted on Monday on the military discussion site Milnet.ca.

The initiative to restore the names of Canada's former services "is aimed at restoring an important and recognisable part of Canada's military heritage," Gen Natynczyk said.

"These were the services that fought and emerged victorious from the Second World War and Korea and contributed to the defence of Europe and North America from the early days of the Cold War. These were also the services that paved the way in terms of international peacekeeping missions."

Peter MacKay, the defence minister, and other Conservative members of Parliament have scheduled what they describe as "significant" announcements on Canada's military history on Tuesday.

The Queen is Canada's head of state, and a tour by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge last month revived interest in the monarchy.

"I think Canadians in general are going to be quite pleased and quite happy to have a little piece of their history back," said Robert Finch, chairman of the Monarchist League of Canada.

Christmas Broadcast of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh Celebrate Diamond Wedding Anniversary

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Tuesday, November 20, 2007. Queen Elizabeth becomes the first monarch to celebrate the Diamond Anniversary milestone. May they enjoy many more years of health, happiness and God's richest blessings.

Readers wishing to send greetings to Her Majesty and His Royal Highness may do so here.