Or lesser breeds without the Law—
POETRY FOUNDATION Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
Recessional
In reeking tube and iron shard,
BY RUDYARD KIPLING
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
1897
For frantic boast and foolish word—
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Copyright Credit: n/a
Dominion over palm and pine—
Source: A Choice of Kipling's Verse (1943)
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Buckingham Palace, Victoria sat next to Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose 1914
assassination would spark the start of World War I, at a state banquet. As a tired
queen turned in for the night, thousands of Britons, eager to watch the grand royal
Home / Topics / European History / Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee procession to St. Paul's Cathedral the next morning, slept in the parks outside the
palace walls.
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee As dawn broke on the overcast morning of Tuesday, June 22, 1897, which had been
declared a public holiday, hundreds of thousands of people crowded the London
As the United Kingdom celebrates the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth sidewalks in anticipation of the royal parade. Vendors hawked souvenir jubilee
Il, take a look back at the country's last Diamond Jubilee-Queen flags, mugs and programs. A human fence of soldiers, their bayonets protruding
Victoria's in 1897.
like pickets, walled off the route of the six-mile procession.
Before the 17-carriage convoy carrying the royal family and leaders of Britain's
BY: CHRISTOPHER KLEIN dominions departed Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria, with a touch of a button,
UPDATED: AUGUST 30, 2018 | ORIGINAL: JUNE 5, 2012 sent an electronic message to her vast Empire. Her telegraph message would have
been tailor-made for today's Twittersphere: "From my heart I thank my beloved
people. May God bless them. V.R. & I." At 11:15 a.m., a cannon fired in Hyde Park to
In the waning days of the 19th century, the United Kingdom was the most powerful announce the monarch's departure from the palace. The roar of the cannon must
country on earth. The British Empire was at its imperial zenith. More than a quarter have forced the clouds into retreat as the sun suddenly began to splash the streets
of the world's population-and a portion of every continent—was under its of London.
dominion, and ruling over it all was Queen Victoria, the woman who had worn the
crown longer than any sovereign in British history. Eight cream horses pulled the queen in an open carriage. Despite the festive
occasion, Victoria—in perpetual mourning for her beloved husband, Albert, and
On September 23, 1896, the queen surpassed King George Ill as Britain's longest- two of her children—was dressed in black. The colorful dress uniforms of the
reigning monarch, but she requested that celebrations of the milestone be delayed colonial forces, however, more than compensated for the monochrome monarch.
until June 1897, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Colonial The procession, which included representatives of all Empire nations, swept by
Secretary Joseph Chamberlain proposed that the Diamond Jubilee double as a many of London's world-famous landmarks, such as Trafalgar Square, the National
"Festival of the British Empire" to celebrate Britain's true crown jewels-its colonies. Gallery, London Bridge and Big Ben. The queen's subjects, many of whom had
When Chamberlain suggested restricting the jubilee's foreign guest list to the heads never known another monarch, cheered her along the entire route and broke into
and representatives of the countries in the British Empire, a thankful queen-eager spontaneous verses of "God Save the Queen." Deeply touched by the outpouring of
to avoid the headaches of taking in unwelcome royal relations at Buckingham affection, Victoria occasionally wiped tears from her eyes before arriving at St.
Palace and Windsor Castle-quickly pounced on the idea. Paul's Cathedral for a Thanksgiving service.
Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee began solemnly with a family Thanksgiving Since painful arthritis impeded the 78-year-old queen's ability to climb the
service at Windsor Castle on Sunday, June 20, 1897, the 60th anniversary of her cathedral steps, the decision had been made in advance to hold the service outside
inheritance of the throne. The following day, the queen returned to London to find at the foot of St. Paul's west steps. Crowds packed specially erected bleachers on
a sea of color had washed over the city's soot-coated streets. Union Jacks draped surrounding rooftops. The steps of St. Paul's were so crowded that choir members
from house balconies. Festoons of flowers and rainbows of bunting soared were forced to stand on the massive pedestals flanking the cathedral's entrance.
overhead. The explosion of hues reflected a country bursting with patriotic pride. The queen, shading herself with a parasol, remained in her coach for the 20-minute
"The streets, the windows, the roofs of the houses, were one mass of beaming ceremony. Following the brisk service, the procession drove off as the Archbishop
faces, and the cheers never ceased," the queen wrote in her journal. That night at of Canterbury shouted out, 'Three cheers for the Queen!"
The queen continued her circuit through London and returned to Buckingham
Palace for a quiet luncheon followed by a dinner banquet. When darkness fell, a
series of bonfires were set simultaneously on hills throughout Victoria's kingdom to
light up the British night. The cheering and singing continued well into the night, no
doubt aided by pubs remaining open until the special time of 2:30 a.m.
In her journal, Queen Victoria called it "a never to be forgotten day." "No one ever I
believe, has met with such an ovation as was given to me, passing through those six
miles of streets," she wrote. "The crowds were quite indescribable and their
enthusiasm truly marvelous and deeply touching. The cheering was quite
deafening, and every face seemed to be filled with real joy. I was much moved and
gratified." To Victoria and everyone in London celebrating the Diamond Jubilee, it
must have seemed as if the sun would indeed never set on the British Empire.
BY: CHRISTOPHER KLEIN
Christopher Klein is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded
Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland's
Freedom and Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan. His work has appeared
in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and
National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris at @historyauthor.
Citation Information
Article Title Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
Author Christopher Klein
Website Name HISTORY
URL https://www.history.com/news/queen-victorias-diamond-jubilee
Date Accessed January 20, 2025
Publisher A&E Television Networks
Last Updated August 30, 2018
Original Published Date June 5, 2012
