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A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in British and Commonwealth usage or a 75th anniversary in American usage.
Diamond Jubilees in the United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Realms such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, a Diamond Jubilee is held in the 60th year of a monarch's reign.
Diamond Jubilee for Queen Victoria
On 22 September 1896, Victoria surpassed George III as the longest-reigning monarch in English, Scottish, or British history. In accordance with the Queen's request, all special public celebrations of the event were delayed until 1897, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. The Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, proposed that the Diamond Jubilee be made a festival of the British Empire. Thus, the prime ministers of all the self-governing colonies were invited along with their families. The procession in which the Queen participated included troops from each British colony and dependency, together with soldiers sent by Indian princes and chiefs (who were subordinate to Victoria, the Empress of India). The Diamond Jubilee celebration was an occasion marked by great outpourings of affection for the septuagenarian Queen, who was by then confined to a wheelchair.Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II
If she is still on the throne at the time, Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee will be in 2012 which will also be the year of the London Olympics, the second world-wide sporting event that would coincide with one of her jubilees. It will also coincide with the centenary of the sinking of RMS Titanic.Diamond Jubilees in other countries
Also, in Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej celebrated his Diamond Jubilee marking 60th anniversary of his reign on 9 June 2006 as the world's longest-reigning monarch. Events included the royal barge procession on the Chao Phraya River, firework displays, art exhibitions, concerts and dance performances. National holidays were on June 9 and June 12-13. On June 9, the King and Queen appeared on the balcony of Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall to greet thousands of Thai well-wishers. The official royal barge procession on June 12 was attended by the Kings and Queens and royal representatives from other 25 countries. On June 13, a state banquet for the royal visitors was held in the new Rama IX Throne Hall at the Grand Palace, the first official function for the hall.
See also
"Diamond Jubilee"