LONDON – Queen Elizabeth the Second, the Head of State of most Commonwealth Caribbean countries, celebrated the start of her diamond jubilee today, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne upon the death of her father, George the Sixth, and becoming the second-longest reigning British monarch.
The Queen’s 60 years as monarch and the second to be head of the Commonwealth, are set to be marked by a series of events around the world this year that will reach its climax in June.
While the 85-year-old monarch and her 90-year-old consort, the Duke of Edinburgh, are expected to criss-cross the United Kingdom for the jubilee, other members of the Royal Family will fan out to the 15 other realms where she is queen, nine of which are in the Caribbean.
In a message to mark the anniversary, the Queen thanked her subjects for the “wonderful support and encouragement” given her and Prince Philip over the years and said she was “deeply moved” by messages about the Diamond Jubilee.
She added: “In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.”
UK Prime Minister David Cameron, the 12th of her ministers to come and go during her reign, described Elizabeth as “source of wisdom and continuity” and praised her for “magnificent service”.
“With experience, dignity and quiet authority she has guided and united our nation and the Commonwealth over six varied decades,” he said.
Only Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Dominica has replaced the British sovereign with a local head of state by becoming republics. In nine other Commonwealth countries are constitutional monarchies in which is queen of the realm, represented locally by a native-born governor-general.
She remains the head of state for Britain’s former dominions of Canada, Australia and New Zealand. (CMC)
On this accession day, she is surpassed by her great-great grandmother, Victoria, as the only other longest-serving British monarch by three years, and marks the 50th anniversary of the death of her father, George VI, from lung cancer at age 56.
