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She became the first monarch to broadcast a Christmas message on television in 1957, further recognising the positive power of mass communication and the impact of technology
with MBEs by The Queen in 1965, with John Lennon later returning his as an act of defiance reportedly against the Vietnam War. The decade of the 1960s saw the Queen consolidate her involvement with innovation and industry and The Queen’s Awards scheme was instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965, with the first Awards made in 1966. The Royal family conceded fully to the power of television in 1969 when the
the significant business area of London Docklands. The Queen finally met Nelson Mandela in 1990 when she extended him an invitation to a Heads of Government meeting, which was the start of a warm friendship. Mandela renewed South Africa’s membership of the Commonwealth in 1994 and visited the UK the following year. The rest of the decade saw tougher times. 1992 was the 40th anniversary of The
The Queen shakes hands with Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He is with his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa, during a reception with Commonwealth nations’ Heads of Government and representatives of the Commonwealth nations in London, 2012.
first TV programme featuring the family was aired, with 23 million viewers. The decade saw the family expand with the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960 and Prince Edward in 1964. The Commonwealth was a fond fixture in The Queen’s diary, with engagements year on year – the 1970s was the busiest for overseas travel, with 73 trips taking in 48 different countries along the way. She witnessed decimalisation in 1971, which of course saw a change of face for The Queen – literally – in the monetary system, which adopted ‘new pence’ in favour of the old pounds, shillings and pence in existence since Roman times. The year 1977 saw The Queen’s silver jubilee, a jubilant affair with street parties, bonfires and events to celebrate 25 years on the throne, and a way of diverting attention away from strikes and industrial disputes of the time. The decade of the 1980s was family focused and started with the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer, with huge public celebration. Prince Andrew flew
Queen’s accession but against a backdrop of family issues. She referred to the year as her ‘annus horribilis’ and witnessed a significant fire at Windsor Castle. Keeping up her bent for technology, she launched her first website in 1997, www.royal.uk, which was to be visited 100 million times in its first year. In 2000 The Queen and Prime Minister Tony Blair attended the party at the much- maligned Millenium Dome to usher in the new millennium. The Queen opened Tate Modern, and met London’s new Mayor, Ken Livingstone, among the guests. The same year saw the 100th birthday of The Queen Mother, who sadly died in 2002, along with The Queen’s younger sister Princess Margaret. The decade again witnessed significant change and 2005 saw Prince Charles and Camilla marry; something once thought impossible in the monarchy. An enthusiast leap into the internet era meant The Queen made her Christmas 2006 message into her first podcast and a Royal YouTube channel followed a year later.
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helicopters in the Falklands war, and her grandsons, Princes William and Harry, were born in 1982 and 1984, respectively. The Queen celebrated her 60th birthday in 1986 and the following year inaugurated the high-tech Docklands Light Railway that supported the development of
In the 2000s and onwards, The Queen continued to graciously head up her ever-expanding family as well as partake in a full range of official duties During 2011 Prince William married Kate Middleton at
The sapphire’s perception is as the stone of
The Queen sends her first Tweet in 2014.
wisdom, a symbol of wise and honest leadership
Westminster Abbey, and The Queen made a historic state visit to the Republic of Ireland, at the invitation of President Mary McAleese – the first visit by a British monarch since 1911. The Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012 was a time of high celebration – and showed a sense of fun – as the world watched her ‘land’ with James Bond from a helicopter. Bringing events to a close, The Queen said: “I hope Memories of these special events will continue to brighten our lives for many years to come.” Prince George was born in 2013, her third great-grandchild, and sister Princess Charlotte followed in 2015. The Queen herself was again at the centre of celebrations in 2016 with the UK and Commonwealth celebrating her 90th birthday with a whole host of events throughout the year. And the milestones continue into 2017, with this being the sapphire jubilee of The Queen’s reign – she is not only the longest-reigning British royal, but the world’s longest-reigning monarch. In her own words: I will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth. l
The Queen and South African president Nelson Mandela in 1996 during a state banquet held in his honour at Buckingham Palace.
Queen’s Awards Magazine 2017
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