Diamond Jubilee

Celebration in 1897 of the 60th year of Queen Victoria's rule. The jubilee was a celebration of both Crown and Empire at the peak of British colonial power. The scions of other royal houses, many related to Victoria, joined the celebrations and paid their respects to Victoria's rule, heightening Britain's sense of superiority over the continental powers. Ironically, even while the jubilee was being celebrated there was renewed tension between the Crown and the Boers in South Africa, which was to lead to the Boer War, a significant blow to British imperial prestige and morale. In retrospect, the jubilee celebrations neatly encapsulated both the splendour and the superficiality of Britain's achievements in the 19th century.