Platinum Jubilee

I celebrated my birthday on Friday while in Kamloops, BC attending the Canada 55+ Games.  When I returned home to Lethbridge there were two birthday cards in my mailbox.  One from each of my two siblings - one older than me and the other younger.  

One of the cards contained a lapel pin.  It was the Platinum Jubilee lapel pin featuring the Canadian Platinum Jubilee emblem created to mark the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne.  

The emblem is a symbolic statement of the relationship between Canada and the Crown, as personified by Her Majesty the Queen, Canada’s Head of State. The emblem is depicted in red and white, the national colours of Canada.

The Royal Cypher of Her Majesty The Queen, EIIR, appears at the centre of the emblem. It makes a personal reference to the Queen as a way of marking the anniversary of her reign. The number 70 is depicted in silver white to allude to the rare and precious metal platinum. Platinum is the name of a jubilee marking 70 years.

These elements are framed by a 7-sided shape, along with 7 maple leaves and 7 pearls to mark the 7 decades of Her Majesty’s reign.  The maple leaves not only represent Canada, but also make reference to the colourful bursts of light created by fireworks, which are often displayed at significant public celebrations.

The 7 rounded edges of the emblem resemble petals of a flower.  The Queen is often welcomed with a bouquet of flowers when she comes to visit.  The shape also takes the form of a cake with scalloped edges of icing when viewed from above.  A cake is often a feature of a festive occasion.

The Royal Crown appears at the top of the emblem. This is a representation of St. Edward’s crown, used for the coronation of the sovereign.  

The emblem was designed and painted by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

I was only two when Princess Elizabeth’s father, King George VI died in February 1952. Days before her Coronation, which took place on June 2, 1953, the Canadian Parliament passed the Royal Style and Titles Act making her Queen of Canada.  Queen Elizabeth II is the first monarch in Canadian history with this title.  

I shared in a previous blog about my memory of the Queen’s Coronation 69 years ago. When she wore the crown depicted on this lapel pin, I was in my pyjamas and we went in my Aunt Hattie’s car around the Bedford Basin in Nova Scotia to Halifax, NS to watch the ceremony on an outdoor movie screen.  It is amazing what memories came to mind when I opened my birthday card from my sister. 

# living life abundantly    # published author   # travelling tuesdays