The Monarchy in the 21st Century – A Platinum Jubilee Tribute

Since her Golden Jubilee in 2002, the Queen has presided over some historic events in the monarchy – casting aside the dark years of the 1990s, the Queen has shepherded her family into the 21st Century. Below are some key dates that epitomise her latter-day reign.

2002

Loss and Gain

The Queen’s celebration of her 50th year on the throne was marred by a double loss, when her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and their mother died within weeks of each other.

As the first British monarch since Queen Victoria to celebrate a Golden Jubilee, Elizabeth travelled more than 40,000 miles that year, including visits to the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. She also visited 70 cities and towns in 50 counties in the United Kingdom.

Compared with the tumultuous 1990s, the start of Elizabeth’s second half-century as queen coincided with the beginning of more positive relations between Britain and its royal family: In 2005, a majority of the British public supported Charles’ wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles.

See also: The Queen on Her Platinum Jubilee: Her Reign, Part 1