UK achievements celebrated in new children’s book to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Primary school children across the United Kingdom to receive a free book next year to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Primary school children across the United Kingdom will receive a book that celebrates the achievements of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth over the last 70 years.

The book will be commissioned by the UK Government and designed to celebrate the people and places of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth. It will teach primary school children about recent and historical events, inspirational people, landmark innovations and inventions, and a selection of our best art, design, and culture.

The book will explore the role of the Monarch and what the Platinum Jubilee represents, so primary school children across the country can understand and engage with the celebrations next year, while broadening their education.

The content will continue to be refined over the coming months but will cover landmark achievements such as the construction of the Channel Tunnel, election of the first female Prime Minister and the invention of the World Wide Web, so children across the country can learn more about their home and its history.

The book will also look at a diverse range of rich culture and notable names for children to explore, including famous artists, designers, fashion designers, and musicians, capturing the true spirit of the last 70 years and the Queen’s reign.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said:

For 70 years Her Majesty The Queen has played an instrumental role in the events, people and places that have helped shape the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.

From the hundreds of charities and organisations of which she is patron, to the 14 Prime Ministers who have served during her reign – thousands of children will be able to read about our great nation, its history and future.

It will be available as an audio book, with plans for it to be in English, Welsh, Gaelic, and Irish in advance of the Jubilee Holiday weekend. The print version will include a QR code so children can scan the code to be taken to further material online, so they can learn independently.

The book will also form part of the wider programme of events and activities planned for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year, including a concert, street parties, and an extra bank holiday for the Jubilee weekend itself from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 June 2022.

The Department for Education will shortly issue an Invitation to tender for a contractor to see through the production of the book, including design, printing and distribution.

Culture Secretary unveils design of medal for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 

25th Sept 2021: The design features portrait of Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Crest. Medal will be awarded to serving frontline members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and Armed Forces with five years service as part of four-day commemorations taking place next year.

The design of the medal awarded to a number of front line emergency workers to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year has been unveiled today.

The medal, which has been designed by Timothy Noad of the College of Arms, will be awarded to individual George and Victoria Cross recipients and serving members of the Armed Forces and emergency services, among others, and acts as a token of the nation’s thanks to those who diligently serve the public.

The medal, which is made of nickel silver, features an image of The Queen with the Latin inscription ‘Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina Fid Def’ which stands for ‘Elizabeth II, By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith’.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a wonderful opportunity to recognise the dedication and service of those who, like the Queen, tirelessly serve our country.

From the troops who serve overseas to the emergency services workers at home who run towards danger when others would flee, we are honoured to have such dedicated and professional public servants who keep us safe.

2022 is an opportunity for us to come together as a nation to celebrate and say thank you to Her Majesty and all those who work so hard to make Britain Great.

The history of awarding medals to mark Royal Jubilee’s dates back to the Victorian period when the first medal was awarded to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Those who will receive the medal for Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are:

• Serving members of the Armed Forces that have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
• Frontline emergency services personnel that have been in paid service, retained or in a voluntary capacity, dealing with emergencies as part of their conditions of service, and have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
• Prison services personnel who are publicly employed and are regularly exposed to difficult and sometimes emergency situations that have completed five full calendar years of service on 6 February 2022.
• Members of the Royal Household with one year of qualifying service.
• Living individual recipients of the George Cross.
• Living individual recipients of the Victoria Cross.

2022 will be a blockbuster year of celebrations with plans to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a four-day Bank Holiday weekend from 2 – 5 June which includes Trooping the Colour, the lighting of beacons, a Service of Thanksgiving, a concert, Platinum Pageant and nation-wide street parties.

As well as celebrating 70 years of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, Britain will host the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Festival 2022, which will celebrate the cross collaboration of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths sectors.

The government is developing plans to mark the contribution of key workers, including NHS workers, to the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and will announce further plans in due course.

For those eligible, there is no application process – eligible staff will be automatically notified via their employer.

Government departments are responsible for applying the eligibility criteria (agreed across Government) to their staff and those organisations they sponsor for Honours purposes.

The government has also launched its Platinum Jubilee website which includes an interactive map for people and organisations to contribute to and search for information on events and activities taking place near to them.