The Queen begins her Jubilee tour in Leicester

Cheering crowds waving union jacks have greeted the Queen in Leicester, the first stop on the monarch’s Diamond Jubilee tour of the UK

Diamond Jubilee 2012 events announced

Here at BRITAIN we’re very excited about Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, when the UK will be celebrating 60 years of Elizabeth II’s reign

Queen Elizabeth II portraits by Cecil Beaton

In the run up to the Diamond Jubilee, the V&A is holding an exhibition of portraits of Her Majesty by photographer Cecil Beaton

Diamond Jubilee portrait commissioned

The National Portrait Gallery commission the first portrait of HRH The Queen and Prince Philip photographed together, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee

River pageant and special medal for Diamond Jubilee

A spectacular river pageant is planned for this year’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations

The English Music Festival

The English Music Festival is an annual celebration of music by British composers, held in a number of beautiful venues in Oxfordshire. Its 2012 festival will coincide with the Diamond Jubilee

Speyside whisky distilleries: On the whisky trail

Britain’s top British writers

The British pie – 10 fun facts you didn’t know

The March/April 2024 issue of BRITAIN is here!

Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is one of the most iconic symbols of Great Britain, proving to be a constant source of strength and optimism for the nation. Her reign of 60 years is the second-longest for a British monarch, with only Queen Victoria serving a longer reign.

In that time, she has been witness to 12 prime ministers, undertaken 261 official overseas visits and sent almost 540,000 telegrams to couples celebrating their diamond wedding anniversaries.