A page in the history of England is turning. Thursday, September 8, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96 after more than 70 years of reign. Europe 1 makes you relive the celebrations around its jubilee on June 2, through the analysis of our specialist in the British monarchy Stéphane Bern.
Military parade, horse racing, concerts… June 2 marked the start of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, which marks her 70th anniversary of reign. A moment awaited by all Britons and for our specialist in crowned heads, Stéphane Bern, it is also a key moment in the history of the United Kingdom. “This jubilee of Elizabeth II is a historic moment! First of all because 70 years of reign has never happened. In the history of the United Kingdom, no sovereign has reigned for so long!”, he explains on Europe 1.
“The cement of the nation”
A queen seen as “the cement of the nation”, as Stéphane Bern tells it. “It is the one that unites all these diverse communities, there is no written constitution, there is not what we can call a republican spirit, that is to say that what unifies the kingdom is the figure of the queen and the British monarchy.”
Thousands of people are expected this Thursday in front of Buckingham Palace where “Salut aux Couleurs” (“Trooping the Color”) takes place, a large military parade. “Most Britons have always known only her, on banknotes, coins, stamps… She is a bit like the mother of the nation, the comforting mother of all the sorrows of the kingdom, the one who has devoted herself to her people, and therefore people want to go all out to simply thank her for more than 70 years of good and loyal service”, he deciphers.
“People feel that this event should be celebrated with great importance and pomp,” says Stéphane Bern. “It is both a moment of national communion, especially as the kingdom is increasingly disunited with the Irish, who are moving closer to independent Ireland, and there are the Scots who also want more independence. Let’s not talk about the Commonwealth with Canada and Australia increasingly falling away from the crown.”