Sweden is enjoying a summer of celebrations to mark a very special event. The reign of King Carl XVI Gustaf reaches half a century this year. The party for his Golden Jubilee will see Sweden sparkle but after this special milestone, the Jubilee juggernaut slows down.
The Grand Duke of Luxembourg hits 25 years of rule in 2025 while Prince Albert II of Monaco will reach Silver Jubilee status by 2030. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, now 83, will reach the 60th anniversary of her rule in 2032 and King Harald of Norway, aged 86 at the moment, is due a Ruby Jubilee in 2031. And let’s not even think about the maths for King Charles III. It raises the question – is it time to rethink when royals hold jubilees?
Traditionally, a jubilee only marked a period of half a century and the first wasn’t held until 1809 when the reign of King George III entered its fiftieth year. By the end of the 19th century, a Diamond Jubilee was dreamed up as a way of celebrating another historic milestone, 60 years, in the rule of Queen Victoria. In the same year, Sweden held a ”25 Jubilee”, for a quarter of a century of rule for King Oscar II. That, in itself, was a radical departure from what a jubilee was meant to be – an echo of the Biblical event spoken of in the Book of Leviticus which could only occur after fifty years.
However, the 20th century saw more changes. The 25 Jubilee, sometimes scoffed at as a ‘demi Jubilee’, became a mainstay of royal celebrations and was renamed Silver. The addition of a Ruby Jubilee to the line up, to mark 40 years, followed. But that is how things have rested for several decades. A king or queen has to reach at least a quarter of a century of rule before the parties start. But as the very notion of a jubilee has already been changed several times over, is it time to alter them all over again?
It’s not just a question of numbers although that is a rather crucial reason why Jubilees were changed in the first place. Queen Victoria’s Jubilee of 1887 was so successful, government ministers were begging her to repeat the extravaganza for the 60th anniversary of her rule and created a ‘Diamond Jubilee’ for political expediency. Her brother in law, Ernest II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, had had a minor celebration for his quarter century of rule in 1869 but the success of Victoria’s jubilee made the idea of a national celebration for royal rule a tantalising prospect for others.
However, living long enough remained a potent problem. Sweden’s Oscar II held celebrations for his quarter century of rule in 1897 in the knowledge that he was unlikely to be around for the 50th anniversary of his reign (he was right, he died in 1907, fifteen years shy of his Golden festivities). But, again, the party worked and became a rather attractive proposition. By the early 20th century, other rulers including Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, King George V of the United Kingdom and King Haakon VII of Norway all held jubilees as they hit the 25 year mark. To us, a Silver Jubilee is nothing extraordinary and there’s no reason that another number couldn’t take on a similar significance as monarchy continues to evolve.
In fact, the current King of the Belgians gave us a version of a different jubilee this summer. King Philippe reached the ten year anniversary of his reign on July 21st 2023 and there were plenty of events to mark it. He took the throne on Belgium’s national day meaning that partying for this particular king is an easy proposition as everyone is set to celebrate anyway. But add in a special interview, some new portraits, souvenirs and a more intense focus on the king and his achievements during the decade he’s held the throne and you have a quasi jubilee. Ten years is tin which doesn’t have quite the same sparkling sound as silver or jewels but the decision to celebrate the reign of Philippe so emphatically worked.
It makes sense to start spreading the celebrations out. There’s no doubt that jubilees are a powerful PR tool. To wait at least a quarter of a century before even entertaining the idea of an event that puts all the positive parts of the monarchy front and centre seems like an increasing miss. King Philippe is now 63 so will be approaching 80 at the time of his quarter of a century of rule. No one knows what the future brings but a poll taken to mark his tenth anniversary showed a majority looking to his daughter and heir, Elisabeth, succeeding sooner rather than later.
Modern monarchy thrives on visibility. The old adage of being seen to be believed still holds true. Royal events, as we’ve just seen with the Coronation, have a habit of taking over and focusing all attention on the institution. Yes, it can bring objections but another old saying is just as relevant for today’s royalty – better to be talked about, whatever the conversation, than not talked about at all.
Jubilees have become a general celebration of a royal reign with a pattern all of their own. Some of the events we associate with them still chime with the original notion of a jubilee as a moment of celebration with days off and parties providing time out from the day to day. But modern jubilees have a pageantry and pomp all of their own, and not just in Britain. You don’t do a Jubilee without a carriage ride or a balcony procession or a tiara of three. This is royal PR at its very best. The long wait already proved too much for royals of the past. Royals of the present and future need to consider turning the potential for these celebrations to their advantage sooner.
However, there is something in the notion of strength and building for the future that might yet echo the very image that many modern monarchies are putting forward. Several have already established a pattern of abdication that seems unlikely to change. As rulers increasingly control how and when their reigns start and end, it makes sense to take control of how and when they are celebrated and spread the jubilee celebrations out more evenly across the tenure of a throne. There is a possibility that jubilees increasingly become an event that falls near the end of a reign. Yes, a chance to reflect on what has gone before but surely, too, an opportunity missed to put monarchies at the heart of national life in countries that still keep thrones when others have discarded them?
Change may yet come. If not, put the bunting away for the 2030s.
