Jubilee puts Queen in the history books
PRIMARY school children will receive a free book celebrating British history next year to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The gift will teach youngsters about the achievements, significant events, rich culture and heritage from the Queen’s reign over seven decades.
Newly appointed Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said the book would focus on the role the Queen has played in her 70-year reign – already being dubbed the second Elizabethan Age.
He 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 have served during her reign, thousands of children will be able to read about our great nation, its history and future.”
The Queen is already Britain’s longest reigning monarch, making this the first Platinum Jubilee in British history.
She is also close to becoming the longest reigning monarch of a sovereign state in history, with Louis XIV of France – known as the Sun King who built the Palace of Versailles – reigning for 72 years and 110 days.
The book comes as the Government continues efforts to ensure schools present a positive view of British history. It will reach out across the different cultural divides in the UK and will celewho
brate different communities within the country. The publication will also be available in audio form, with plans for it to be in English, Welsh, Gaelic and Irish to ensure that every child in the four nations can read it. The book has been commissioned by the Government and is designed to celebrate the people and places of the UK and Commonwealth.
It will teach children about recent and historical events, inspirational people, landmark innovations and inventions, and will include a selection of our best art, design and culture.
The contents will be refined over the coming months and will cover achievements such as the construction of the Channel Tunnel, the election of Margaret Thatcher as the first female prime minister, and the invention of the World Wide Web.
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. The idea is new to the 70th anniversary and did not feature in the silver, golden or diamond jubilees.
It will also form part of a wider programme of events and activities planned for the jubilee next year.
These include a concert, street parties and an extra bank holiday for the jubilee weekend itself – which will run from Thursday June 2 to Sunday June 5.
The Department for Education will shortly issue an invitation to tender for a contractor to see through the production of the book, including its design, printing and distribution.