Leaders | Put out more bunting

The significance of the Platinum Jubilee

The celebrations are absurd, but the queen represents continuity and consensus

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Maureen McLean/Shutterstock (12963865f)Union Jack bunting outside a house in Cookham High Street in Berkshire. Locals are getting ready for a big Platinum Jubilee party in Cookham High Street on Sunday to celebrate 70 years of Her Majesty the Queen's reignPlatinum Jubilee Preparations, Cookham, Berkshire, UK - 30 May 2022

Her first solo engagement took place in 1942, when she inspected the Grenadier Guards at Windsor Castle. More than 21,000 ribbon-cuttings and plaque-unveilings have followed, along with 200-plus official portraits and over 300,000 congratulatory telegrams sent to centenarian subjects. From June 2nd to June 5th Britain celebrates another milestone for Queen Elizabeth II: the Platinum Jubilee, to mark her 70 years on the throne.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Put out more bunting”

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