New book celebrates The Queen's Platinum Jubilee with 250 photographs from her life and reign

Seventy years on, and Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee will see the nation come together to celebrate a truly historic landmark.

Over the coming, four-day bank holiday weekend, millions of well-wishers in the UK, the Commonwealth and beyond will take part in a spectacular mixture of traditional pageantry, technological displays and public events.

The highlight will be the Platinum Jubilee Pageant, which will see 6,500 performers and participants from across the UK and the Commonwealth parade past Buckingham Palace and along The Mall in front of vast crowds and the world’s media.

Accompanying this unique and joyous occasion, Her Majesty The Queen: The Official Platinum Jubilee Pageant Commemorative Album charts the trials and triumphs of her 70-year reign and explores how she has provided the country and Commonwealth with a lifetime of leadership, from her steadfast presence during the Second World War through to her current unifying influence at a time of political, economic and social turbulence.

Featuring more than 250 photographs from throughout the Queen’s life, the hardback publication is the only book product licensed by the Platinum Jubilee Pageant and permitted to carry the official logo.

It not only celebrates Elizabeth II’s life and reign, it explores developments in the UK and around the world over the past seven decades. It also showcases a range of aligned organisations, including some from Yorkshire, such as Pressure Technologies, of Sheffield, Irwin Mitchell, from Leeds, and Rotherham-based NRG Focus, all selected for their transformational contribution across the spheres of culture, society, technology and business.

Co-author of this mammoth book is Katie Nicholl, a Royal commentator and author of a number of books on members of the Royal Family. She will also be one of the television commentators at next Sunday’s Royal Pageant for the BBC.

“When Princess Elizabeth became Queen, nobody could have foreseen that she would become Britain’s longest-reigning monarch. The Platinum Jubilee Pageant is a landmark event in our nation’s history, and it is a great honour to work on its official commemorative album. I think it is going to be even bigger than the Diamond Jubilee pageant on the Thames in 2012,” she said.

“There are many books about the Queen but this one is the only official one and it is a beautiful celebration of her life and reign and it is an honour to co-author it with Robert Jobson. It is an investment and something you can keep on your coffee table and dip into and possibly find out something you didn’t know about the Queen or see a photograph you have never seen before.

“As well as the monarch she has been a wife, mother, grandmother and great- grandmother and there are many photographs of her relaxing with family and showing another side to her. Over the decades she has weathered many storms but her great success has been to never lose sight of her sense of duty and purpose, and to ensure she remains connected with her people – duty runs through her DNA. Public opinion may have wavered but the Queen has remained steadfast, self sufficient and committed to her subjects and to the job. It’s a job that comprises many roles – head of the Church of England, head of the armed forces and head of the Commonwealth, the family of 54 countries and more than two billion people of which the Queen has been matriarch since 1952.

“This took a lot of research. I was very lucky to be able to speak to people who have known the Queen and they were able to give me some insight into the person who wears the crown – an insight into Elizabeth II. There is a real sense that she has done something no other monarch has achieved and this is a moment to celebrate her.”

The book charts her life through the decades, but also focuses on her links with the military, charities, fashion and food.

Tom Parker Bowles, renowned food writer and critic (and son of Camilla Duchess of Cornwall), provides readers with an insight into the Royals’ dining tastes and traditions, and into the history and flavour of Royal celebrations as well as some recipes to try.

In addition to celebrating the life of the Queen, the pageant is intended to mark a reawakening of the creative sector, drawing on talent from every corner of the UK and Commonwealth.

It will represent the multicultural society that is Britain, and be socially as well as environmentally conscious – both in the run-up to and during the event.

“It isn’t just a celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee but a celebration of industry and business. I am a Royal journalist and I enjoyed interviewing some of the entrepreneurs and start-ups who have survived and even thrived during the pandemic. It was a very interesting experience and the book shows that we have a lot to be proud of as a country,” said Nicholl.

But as the country gathers to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, there is a sense of the times changing. “Her Majesty has come to rely increasingly on the senior members of the Royal Family, those she calls ‘my substitutes’, such as Charles and Camilla and the Cambridges, especially recently when her mobility has clearly been a problem and that has worried everyone which has made it so nice to see her out and about recently at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and at the opening of the new Elizabeth Line. I think we all have to accept that she is 96 years old and will not be able to do as much as she has done in the past. Nevertheless she is determined to keep working. Retirement has never been an option and, as those who know her best explain, the job is what keeps her going. The show will go on.”

The publication also features exclusive content about the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. At least half the content in the book is provided by official supporters detailing a select portfolio of products and services that have contributed to the social and economic history of Britain and the Commonwealth during the Queen’s reign. The book will be gifted exclusively to VIPs and ballot winners. In honour of the Queen’s Jubilee weekend, St James’s House will hold a private evening gala at Claridge’s in London on June 5 for clients, contributors and the media.

■ Her Majesty The Queen: The Official Platinum Jubilee Pageant Commemorative Album is being offered a 70 per cent discount for £14.99 from www.stjamess.org/product/the-official-commemorative-album/