Discover Queen Elizabeth II through the years with historical photos from our community
5-6 minute read
By The Findmypast Team | September 9, 2022
We launched the #MyJubilee campaign to see how our community have paid homage to the royals in years past. As always, they delivered.
Between coronations, weddings, royal babies and Jubilees, there's been no shortage of royal occasions. The late Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June of 2022, just three months before her passing on 8 September.
Take a look at some of the ways our community celebrated the longest-reigning monarch in British history.
Commemorating the coronation
Bob Avery, in Chepstow, sent in this lovely photo taken on 2 June 1953 - the coronation date for Queen Elizabeth II.
Bob Avery's coronation photo.
Bob's uncle took this photo just a few minutes before their street party in Ailesbury Street, Newport. Included are the kids and a few of the mothers.
Bob's grandparents lived at this address from the date of their marriage to their deaths in the 1970s. As Bob himself says:
""The hoot is that the photograph was taken outside the street’s corner pub aptly named The Coronation and having been named that many years before Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. I have no knowledge of when it was given that name.""
What a lovely coincidence, eh?
Bob isn't the only one to have surviving photos from the 1953 coronation. Community member Bernie sent us this gem, taken in Birmingham.
Bernie's coronation photo.
You can spot little Bernie stood right at the front of the crowd.
But what about even before the Queen was crowned? Sandra Singleton sent in these incredible photographs, taken by her late father in December 1950.
Sandra's photos of Queen Elizabeth II when she was still Princess Elizabeth, 1950.
Of course, we had to ask about the history behind them.
Sandra's father was a keen photographer, and it was something he kept on doing even after his discharge from the Royal Navy.
Sandra's photos of Queen Elizabeth II when she was still Princess Elizabeth, 1950.
That's not all Sandra sent us, though.
Sandra's photo of the Silver Jubilee.
This photo was taken on the Caravan Club West Surrey's float. You can spot Sandra in the groovy stripy socks, at the front left. The week following this, she met her now-husband. What a lovely story.
A jolly Jubilee or two
Of course, we also received some photos of Queen Elizabeth II's Jubilees gone by.
Joyce's photo of her son during the Silver Jubilee.
Community member Joyce sent us this photo of her son, all dressed up with his decorated wagon for the Silver Jubilee in 1977. This photo was taken in Ontario, Canada.
The sign on his wagon reads 'Honest Derek', and his wares included a Silver Jubilee teacloth, a crown-shaped perfume bottle, and sweets brought over from England by his grandparents at the time. This charming get-up won him a silver dollar at the Jubilee celebrations.
But he wasn't the only one winning prizes.
Jane's photo of herself at the Silver Jubilee.
Jane Parsons sent us this photo of her at a 1977 Jubilee street party, in Middlesex.
It sounds like there were lovely celebrations all round.
Community member Anthony Hughes sent in this photo.
Anthony Hughes' Jubilee photo.
We'd be lying if we said we weren't jealous of that table spread.
To top it off, here's community member Pamela, looking more than regal herself.
Pamela's Jubilee photo.
We know we'd certainly trust Pamela with Queen and country.
This photo was sent in by Elizabeth Cherry, found by her aunt Amanda Cherry. It shows Elizabeth at the 1977 Silver Jubilee celebrations.
Elizabeth Cherry's 1977 Jubilee photo.
Adorable, right?
Here Elizabeth is again, decades on, during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
Elizabeth during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
Now that's an outfit to make any party attendee jealous.
To finish off our nostalgic dip into Jubilee celebrations gone by, our very own Lorna Tyrtania offered up these photos of herself aged just one.
Lorna during the Silver Jubilee.
A charming collection of community memories indeed.
More for Her Majesty
Of course, that's not all our community had to offer. Regina sent in this photo of her silk handkerchief, presented to all the children of Macclesfield in honour of the coronation.
Regina's silk handkerchief, presented to her at the coronation.
Another community member, Mo, sent in this photo of her as a young girl.
Mo as a young girl, on her way to present flowers to the Queen.
She is trotting off to present flowers grown in Sicily to the Queen herself. This was part of the Royal Visit to St. Mary's, during Queen Elizabeth II's 2011 tour.
We're so grateful to our community for bringing the spirit of joy and celebration here to us at Findmypast, and we're sure that these memories will be treasured for generations to come.
