Tag: Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee

Scotland to mark Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Celebrating 70 years of service

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has led parliamentary tributes to Her Majesty The Queen’s service to Scotland, ahead of Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend.  

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the First Minister said that The Queen had played an integral role in the story of modern Scotland, and it was no surprise that the occasion would be celebrated so widely.

Jubilee beacons will be lit across the country tomorrow night and a national thanksgiving service will be held at Glasgow Cathedral on Sunday, in addition to the many community lunches, street parties and afternoon teas planned for the weekend.

The First Minister confirmed that on behalf of the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government will present The Queen with a limited edition Johnnie Walker whisky, with a special design to celebrate the beauty of Scotland’s plants and wildlife, and a throw made from the tartan commissioned in honour of the three bridges across the Forth.

A ‘Jubilee Wood’ of 70 native trees is planned for planting in Holyrood Park, within sight of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The First Minister said this was a historically appropriate gesture, as The Queen’s first duty in Scotland following her accession to the throne had been to plant a cherry tree that still stands by the entrance to the Canongate Kirk.

The First Minister said: “The occasion of the Platinum Jubilee is not just about an institution. It is, above all, about the life and service of an extraordinary woman.

“We should all pay tribute to that. So it is absolutely right that we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. Let us congratulate her warmly on a reign of unprecedented length, and let us acknowledge with deep gratitude and respect, her dedication to duty.”

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee debate: First Minister’s statement – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The First Minister will be attending a number of events in London to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – including the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 3 June, and the Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace.

Floral clock will bloom in honour of HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Work has finished to complete this year’s design on the world’s oldest Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens. For 2022, the hugely popular landmark will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

A team of five gardeners took just four weeks to plant over 35,000 flowers and plants used to create the clock, which will be in bloom until October. There are nine different plants included in this year’s design such as Agaves, Echeveria, Sedums, Pyrethrum, Crassula, Kleenia, Antenaria, Geraniums and Begonias.

To be ready for this celebratory weekend, the team at Inch Nursery brought the plants on earlier than previous years and the gardeners worked quickly to complete this in time. They will be in full bloom in the coming weeks and throughout the summer.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “I am delighted to once again see the city’s beautiful floral clock completed, and in perfect time for the Jubilee weekend.

“Each year the iconic clock marks special occasions and events in the heart of the Capital and this year it is a unique tribute coinciding with celebrations taking place around the country as the nation marks the Queen’s 70-year reign.

“My thanks and congratulations to the dedicated and creative parks team who have put together the design that I’m sure will be enjoyed by everyone who passes by it this summer.”

The Floral Clock was first created in 1903 by then Edinburgh Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, and is the oldest of its kind in the world. It initially operated with just an hour hand, with a minute hand added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. Until 1972 the clock was operated mechanically and had to be wound daily.

Since 1946 it has been designed in honour of various organisations and individuals, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee. In the clock’s centenary year in 2003 it won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Find out more about Edinburgh’s parks and green spaces.

Floral Clock fact file

  • The clock was created in 1903 and is the oldest floral clock in the world
  • It is housed in the plinth of the Allan Ramsay Monument at the north-east corner of West Princes Street Gardens
  • Planting begins in May each year
  • Up to 40,000 plants are used in the design each year (compared to 13,000 in the 1930s; 25,000 in the 1950s)
  • 1952 – a cuckoo clock was added and still chimes every 15 minutes
  • In 1946 the clock began celebrating a different event or anniversary each year
  • 1973 – when the clock began being operated electrically
  • 2003 – the clock won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
  • Clock circumference: 36 ft
  • Clock width: 11 ft 10 ins
  • Weight of large hand (when filled with plants): 80lbs
  • Weight of small hand (when filled with plants): 50lbs
  • Floral clocks are now distributed worldwide and many were made in Edinburgh, where the idea originated.
  • They can be found in India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America, United States of America, Canada and many other European countries.

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: 10 party games

As the country gets ready to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years of service, gaming experts Solitaired share their pick of games to make your street party or family gathering fit for a royal over the bank holiday weekend.

  1. Royal Guess Who?

Both players start with a board each, filled with royal family members face-up, and select a mystery character card, of which only they can see. Players take turns asking yes or no questions in order to guess which mystery card their opponent has, for example, did they marry a royal? Are they wearing glasses? Do they have children? Those that do not apply are flipped face-down, leaving the remaining characters face-up. Once a player thinks they know which card their opponent has, they have one chance to guess who it is. If a player guesses the card incorrectly, they lose.

  1. Ibble Dibble

As seen in The Crown. It’s typically a drinking game, but if there are children, the rule can be changed so that players perform a forfeit instead of drinking. Players form a circle and are assigned a number. Players are known as “ibble-dibble”, followed by their number. Traditionally a bottle cork is blackened, but a marker or face paint can also be used to make a mark on the player, known as a “dibble-ibble”. 

The rules are simple, whoever’s turn it is must identify themselves by their number, for example, saying the number of black marks on their face, before calling on the next player of choice, identified by their assigned number, followed by how many marks are on their face. For example the first round would go something like: “Number one ibble-dibble with no dibble-ibbles calling number five ibble-dibble with no dibble-ibbles.” Player number five would go next. Players that hesitate or mess up the sentence must apply a black mark to their face and drink (or perform a forfeit). The longer the game goes on, the harder it gets! The winner is the player with the least amount of marks at the end.

  1. Charades

Parlour games have been a tradition of the royal family since Queen Victoria’s era, and the Queen is known to love a game of charades. Players write down a film, book, song, play, TV show, or phrase which are then put into a hat. Players are split into two teams and individually, players take an item from the hat, which must then be acted out silently for their team to guess. The player who is trying to act can use hand signals and miming to try and lead their team to the answer.

  1. Royal Rules

Deal a deck of cards out equally to players; whoever has a Queen card gets to make a rule that all the guests must follow for the day. Any rule-breakers must take a drink or do a forfeit.

  1. Football

As the country’s favourite sport, football has a long history associated with England, and the royal family are reportedly fans of the game too. The Queen had apparently revealed to Buckingham Palace staff that her favourite team is West Ham. Prince Charles once shared his support for Burnley. Prince William has been President of the Football Association (FA) since 2006 and has supported Aston Villa since age 11. Kate is allegedly a Chelsea supporter, according to an eight-year-old fan who revealed the information after speaking with the Duchess of Cambridge. Prince George has also been spotted cheering enthusiastically at football matches with his parents and playing for his school team. The royal family hosts an annual football match at Sandringham against household staff. Families organising a kickabout over the jubilee weekend can do so with the royal seal of approval.

  1. Monopoly

It is known that the royal family used to enjoy playing a game of monopoly, before the Queen banned it from being played at family events after it got out of hand. Just because the game is now banned from royal functions, it doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy playing, if you are still on speaking terms after the last time you played.

  1. Royal bake-off

Host your own ‘Great British Bake Off’ style competition with easy to bake royal-themed treats that kids can get involved with. Assign a panel of impartial and hungry judges. The winner with the best bake is crowned King or Queen of baking.

  1. Wacky royal portrait

Dial up the creativity with an unconventional royal portrait. Starting with a blank piece of paper, players have five minutes to collect unconventional materials found in the house/garden. Without using pens and pencils, create a royal portrait fit for a Queen.

  1. Castle building

Enough to bring the inner child out of any adult, and a great way of having fun with the kids while engaging their creative side. Build a castle hideout using items around the home (blankets, cardboard boxes, chairs etc.), and enjoy your own DIY royal residence.

  1. Craft a crown competition

Put your arts and craft skills to the test by using craft materials such as paper, pens, glitter etc. to make and decorate the best paper crown. It’s a group activity that lets kids add their own personality to their crown.

Crown templates are available for free online. 

You can also put a royal twist on these family party games:

  • Pin the crown on the queen
  • Pass the crown (pass the parcel)
  • Who Am I?
  • Royal quiz
  • Treasure hunt
  • Sleeping corgis (sleeping lions)
  • Musical thrones
  • Bingo
  • Jubilee fancy dress
  • The chocolate game (knife and fork)

Solitaired is a website where users can play over 500 games for free. 

Dunfermline becomes Scotland’s newest city

Dunfermline has been awarded city status in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, it was announced this morning.

Dunfermline is one of eight new cities. The other towns granted city status today were Bangor (Northern Ireland), Colchester, Doncaster, Douglas (Isle of Man), Milton Keynes, Stanley in the Falkland Islands and Wrexham in Wales.

Dumfries, Elgin, Greenock, Livingston, Oban, St Andrews and South Ayrshire had also submitted bids, but missed out this time round.

Dunfermline becomes Scotland’s eighth city following Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling.

Perth was the last Scottish town to be awarded city status during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year in 2012.

Provost of Fife, Cllr Jim Leishman said the award will help Dunfermline to grow economically. He told STV: “The official title of city will give Dunfermline the wider recognition that it deserves as one of the fastest-growing, urban areas in Scotland, offering all the amenities that any modern city could hope for”.

Local MSP Shirley-Anne Somerville added: “Absolutely delighted that Dunfermline has today become Scotland’s eighth city.

“This will be a huge boost for our local community – and especially for our local businesses. Dunfermline has a fantastic story to tell and we now have an exciting opportunity to share it with the world.”

Queen’s ‘inspirational’ faith inspires free children’s book

  • The Church of England and Thy Kingdom Come prayer movement are giving away up to 500,000 FREE story books to children, in honour of The Queen’s faithful reign  
  • The book is inspired by the Queen’s dedicated service to the country for 70 years, and her Christian faith 

The Queen’s commitment to the country and her Christian faith has inspired a free story book, which will be distributed to half a million children in honour of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.  

The book, which is based on faithfulness, honours The Queen’s 70 steadfast years on the throne and is being issued by The Church of England and Thy Kingdom Come, The Archbishop of Canterbury’s global prayer movement. 450,000 of the books have already been requested and given away.  

The free story, Queen CJ and the Bouncy Castle, is a product of The Cheeky Pandas – a children’s cartoon series featuring contributions from stars including CBeebies’ Gemma Hunt, and Archbishop Justin Welby.

In the book, a little panda who owns a bouncy castle and doesn’t want to share it with her friends, learns that a good ruler is faithful to her people and serves her country through the ups and downs – just like Queen Elizabeth II.  

Alongside the book, there will also be a special ‘Royal’ themed Cheeky Pandas episode by the makers of CBBC’s Andy and the Band and CBeebies’ The Baby Club, with voiceovers from Gemma Hunt, and free activity packs (including a widget version for children with additional needs), assembly plans and music videos to use in homes, schools, and churches. 

Cartoon episodes will also be available in BSL.

  

Pete James, the creator of the Cheeky Pandas said: “It is an honour to partner with Thy Kingdom Come and the Church of England this year to create these resources to nurture young children’s faith in a fun way, in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.” 

You can order the free books here on The Cheeky Pandas website, as well as other free Jubilee resources. 

There is also an extended version of The Cheeky Pandas free Jubilee book, available for purchase.