The Queen Will Become First British Monarch To Reach Sapphire Jubilee Next Week

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee on Monday.
On February 6 – the anniversary of the day she ascended the throne – Queen Elizabeth II will have reigned for 65 years. However, no grand festivities have been planned to mark the head of state’s historic milestone. In fact, at the moment, the Queen herself doesn’t even have any official engagements on the landmark day.

So why the lack of enthusiasm for the occasion? According to some royal experts, it is likely that any large-scale jubilee celebrations will be reserved for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 – let’s just hope she doesn’t have to endure the rain or that massive royal barge again.

The sovereign, who missed church over the Christmas period due to a ‘very heavy cold’, probably isn’t even that thrilled about the occasion. In 2015, she thanked the entire nation after overtaking Queen Victoria and becoming the longest sovereign in British history, but admitted that the royal record was ‘not one to which I have ever aspired’.

‘Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception,’ she continued. How very blunt.

Accession day is often a sad day for the Queen as it marks the day her father, George VI, died. She often spends the day at Sandringham and returns to Buckingham Palace a few days later.

If you’re one of those people disappointed by the lack of festivities, you’ll be pleased to know that royal gun salutes will be staged in London on February 6, as per tradition.

There will also be a 41-gun salute fired by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park at noon, as well as a 62-gun salute lead by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 1pm – oh and there will be lots of music too.

Smiles all round.

Want more royal news? Prince William and Prince Harry have just commissioned a statue of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, in London!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.