What would you do if you could be a king or a queen for a day?
Although it might be easy to imagine yourself simply relaxing in a beautiful palace wearing regal robes and crown jewels and waving with a cupped hand out your palace window to throngs of admirers, there’s a little more to being royal than simply being waited on like a movie star.
Canada’s constitutional monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has many responsibilities.
The Queen is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states, the head of the Commonwealth of Nations, head of state of the Crown Dependencies, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
What is even more incredible about Queen Elizabeth II is the fact that she has been doing her job for more than 60 years. Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne on Feb. 6, 1952, after the passing of her father King George VI, and her official Coronation took place on June 2, 1953.
The year 2012 marks the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, an international celebration of 60 years of her reign and only the second time in world history that such a celebration has been held for a British monarch.
Although activities are taking place throughout this year, the peak celebrations in Britain will be taking place from June 2 to 5 to coincide with the dates of the Queen’s official coronation.
The U.K. government moved the last bank holiday in May to June 4 and added another bank holiday on June 5 to make the four-day Jubilee weekend celebration a possibility.
Highlights of the weekend events will include an Epsom Derby and Hyde Park Festival on June 2, a River Pageant on June 3, a BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4 and a Service of Thanksgiving, carriage procession and balcony appearance to mark the culmination of the Jubilee Weekend celebration on June 5. The Thames River Pageant is expected to be the most spectacular event of the weekend and will consist of a procession of up to 1000 boats from across the U.K., the Commonwealth and the world led by the Queen travelling in the Royal Barge.
Top five Royal attractions
Whether you visit Britain during the Jubilee weekend or another time, exploring royal attractions and historical sites can be fun and fascinating. When it comes to Royal landmarks and attractions, everyone has their own personal favourites. Here are some of my top picks.
• Buckingham Palace — The official residence of the Queen is open to visitors every August and September. You can see some of the Royal Collection while wandering through the State Rooms and Gardens. The Changing of the Guard ceremony can be observed year-round.
• Windsor Castle — This castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world and is said to be the Queen’s favourite residence. You can see the State apartments, St George’s Chapel and Queen Mary’s Doll House during a visit.
• The Tower of London — The Tower of London is a World Heritage Site that is home to the Crown Jewels. An entertaining Yeoman Warder Tour will tell you the tales of the tower and lend insight into hundreds of years of Royal history.
• Westminster Abbey — As the setting for the Coronation of every English monarch since 1066 and the site of 16 Royal weddings, this famous abbey is a must-see site — if only from the outside.
• Edinburgh Castle — Although the nearby Palace of Holyroodhouse is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland, Edinburgh Castle remains the more popular castle with visitors. Edinburgh Castle is home to the Scottish Crown Jewels, the One O’ Clock Gun and the National War Museum of Scotland.
Shop like a Royal in London
Though you may not have the financial prowess of a member of the monarchy, it can be great fun to explore the London shops that supply their food, drink, clothing and sundries. Finding these shops is not as difficult as you would imagine. Tradesmen who supply goods and services to the monarchy for five years or more are often awarded a Royal Warrant to recognize the quality of their products. The tradition dates back to the 15th century and many London stores proudly display the Royal Warrant on their shop fronts and on their packaged products.
It can be fascinating to window shop in stores that display these Royal Warrants and many can be found in the area of St. James Palace. A pair of bespoke shoes handmade by John Lobb Ltd., the official bootmaker to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will set you back about $4000. A pair of custom-made rifles from William Evans Ltd., an official gun maker for the Royal family will likely cost more than $100,000. Such guns are always sold in pairs, so that your servant can reload one gun while you are shooting the other one. Looking in the shops is fascinating and the activity is completely free.
If you want to actually make a purchase, stick with food stores. At Paxton and Whitfield, the official cheese monger to Queen Victoria and now the Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales, we found some surprisingly affordable and wonderfully delicious cheese and jelly — eating them was enough to make me almost feel royal.
If you go
• Several carriers offer direct flights from Calgary to London during the spring and summer peak travel seasons. You can find return air from Calgary to London during the dates of the Diamond Jubilee Weekend Celebration (May 26 to June 7) for as little as $664 including taxes return with Air Transat (www.transatholidays.com or www.canadianaffair.ca).
• Hotels and restaurants will be heavily booked during the Diamond Jubilee event and will also be at premium prices, but many are offering unique packages for the Diamond Jubilee weekend celebration. At this point it might be wise to use the services of a travel agent to secure accommodations.
• If you wish to travel to London this summer, keep in mind that the Summer Olympics will also be taking place in the city from July 27 to Aug. 12.
• For more information on the Diamond Jubilee, visit the official website of the British monarchy at www.royal.gov.uk.
• For more information about visiting the U.K., check out the official tourism website at www.visitbritain.com.
Debbie Olsen is a Lacombe-based freelance writer. If you have a travel story you would like to share or know someone with an interesting travel story who we might interview, please email: DOGO@telusplanet.net or write to: Debbie Olsen, c/o Red Deer Advocate, 2950 Bremner Ave., Red Deer, Alta., T4R 1M9.