4 minute read
The Queen’s Jubilee
Royal connections
As the countdown to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations begin, Lowri Llewelyn looks back at the part North Wales has played in her reign…
On a very special four-day bank holiday beginning on Friday 3rd June, the UK will come together to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, marking an astounding 70 years as the monarch of the United Kingdom. According to a 2018 YouGov survey, a whopping 31% of us have either met or seen the Queen in real life – that’s almost one third of the British population!
As Her Majesty rings in a milestone never before celebrated by a British monarch, the Jubilee brings opportunity to show gratitude towards the woman who has guided us come what may. Indeed, a 25-year-old Elizabeth was thrust into the role of Queen following the premature death of King George VI, learning of his death while enjoying a visit to Kenya with husband Philip.
Her visits have brought her to every corner of the United Kingdom and many of us have fond childhood memories of trying to catch a glimpse, or if we were lucky, being able to hand her a bunch of flowers. Her Majesty has visited the length and breadth of North Wales, the first in the capacity of Queen being the Coronation
tour of 1953. With what must have been the weight of the world on her shoulders, this was an opportunity for Elizabeth to meet the Welsh public and prove herself worthy of this new role.
The next visit to North Wales, in 1958, would be an opportunity for the Queen to attend the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show.
In 1963, the Queen would visit Caernarfon Castle, with Lord Snowdon presenting Her Majesty with an enormous key to the castle! During this visit she would also visit the burial site of Lloyd George, who led Britain to victory during World War I and remains history’s only Welsh-speaking Prime Minister.
During this visit she would also wander further afield, taking
the trip down to Pwllheli to meet no other than Billy Butlin! On her way home, she would also stop in Trawsfynydd to marvel
In 1953 The Queen visited Llangollen to see the International Musical Eisteddfod
at the new nuclear power station and make an appearance at the National Eisteddfod in Llandudno, where she was treated to a performance by an enormous children’s choir.
The Queen’s most memorable visit to North Wales would be in 1969. While Prince Charles’s investiture would prove thrilling for most, with in excess of 500 million viewers watching from across the globe, the pomp would be much to the chagrin of Welsh patriots. As portrayed in The Crown, Prince Charles had studied the Welsh language while at university in Aberystwyth and wowed the crowds with a speech in Welsh.
Some readers might be younger still and, like this writer, will recall the Queen’s 2002 tour in celebration of her Golden Jubilee. I personally remember the day off school as we congregated in Pringle’s car park, Llanfairpwll, to await her arrival. In my mind she wore yellow; at 10 years old, I was
Her Majesty’s next major visit to North Wales would take place in 1977 on the occasion of her Silver Jubilee. While in the past the Queen had not been able to receive unarranged gifts from onlookers, on this visit she readily accepted all manner of kind gestures, including flowers, cards and drawings.
It is said that four fifths of the British population was not yet
born during the Queen’s coronation. For some readers, then, the first memory of Her Majesty will be that of her 1991 North
Wales visit, during which she would open the Conwy Tunnel along with Conwy’s Bodlondeb civic offices. unconcerned with her outfit, but I do know what she wasn’t
wearing… “I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am,” the Queen has said previously! n
Lowri Llewelyn is a North Wales based journalist who is endlessly curious [read: nosy] and loves everything to do with this beautiful region that she is lucky enough to call home.
In 1969 Her Majesty attended the investiture of the Prince of Wales at Caernarfon Castle
FOOTLOOSE 23.05.22 - 28.05.22
JERSEY BOYS 31.05.22 - 04.06.22
