Happy and Glorious: exploring and celebrating the Platinum Jubilee

History is full of significant royals, yet few seem quite so remarkable as Her Majesty the Queen. Since her birth in 1926, she has witnessed the tragedy of a world war, the decline of the British Empire and the birth of the Commonwealth of Nations. Not only is she the longest reigning female monarch in history (surpassing the previous record held by Queen Victoria) but she is also the oldest incumbent head of state and the most travelled monarch in history. This year, she will become the first British monarch to ever celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. An extraordinary woman by any measure!

So how does the Platinum Jubilee fit into the history curriculum and why is it worthy of exploration? For many children, history feels like the distant past and it can be difficult to see how a living monarch can be part of our historical learning. Who better to challenge this than the Queen? Not only is she clearly a significant individual, but the jubilee also provides us with a lens to explore significant events both within and beyond living memory. Furthermore, it allows us to explore ideas of collective memory, bringing oral and community histories into the classroom and connecting the past with the present day...