Inside U.K. Partying to pomp and circumstance By Richard Payne	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
女王即位 英国エリザベス女王が即位して今年で50周年。今月1日から4日にかけて、英国ではロンドンのバッキンガム宮殿を中心にパレードやコンサートなどさまざまな祝賀行事が行なわれ、国中がお祝いムードに包まれました。

Anyone who witnessed it can be in no doubt EJune was the month in which Britain rediscovered its patriotism. Everywhere you turned in Britain, there was a sea of red, white and blue, the colors of the Union Jack flag hanging from people's houses, shop fronts, churches, colleges and all sorts of public buildings. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to mark the Golden Jubilee in their own small way.

The beginning of June was a very special time for the British people — and not just because most of us had two days off work or school. It gave us a chance to step back from our busy lives and both celebrate and show our appreciation for the Queen's 50 years of service to her country both here and all over the world.

There were those who said the Queen's Golden Jubilee wouldn't be a success because people's feelings toward the Royal Family had changed, but there's no disputing now the fact that the majority of British people are proud of what the Queen represents.

A national survey found that 75 percent of the population celebrated the special event and even more, 80 percent, are satisfied with the way the Queen is doing her job.

The most popular way that people celebrated was to have a street party, where those living in the road got permission to shut it to traffic for the day, put up flags — known as bunting — and have a party with food, drink, music and dancing. There was one in my road and no one seemed to mind that the party went on until midnight. The atmosphere was very friendly and some people spoke to their neighbors for the first time. 6I remember celebrating the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977 as a small boy. I joined my family and friends in the village where I grew up to have a party. We were all given a china mug and plate to mark the occasion, and I still have them to this day. Once again, 25 years on, my village held another party for all the children, who were just as excited as I was all those years ago. The fact that the weather was good helped a great deal.

Helen Mortimer, the organizer of the village's celebration, said: "We started planning back in February, and it was a bit difficult then, to know what it was going to turn out like, but we need not have worried. People love an excuse to have a good time, and what better reason than the Queen's 50 years on the throne?"

"I think people who said there wasn't much of a desire for the Jubilee underestimated the feelings most people still have for royalty. We're very proud of them and what they do for Britain."

The biggest events that got the most publicity, though, were the ones the Queen herself hosted in London. She gave permission for her royal residence, Buckingham Palace, to be transformed into a venue for two unique concerts, the first a classical one, the second for pop music. She attended both and seemed to enjoy the fact that 12,000 people were partying in her back garden each time.

Some two and a half million people had applied for the tickets, which were given out on a random basis. Some who were successful, though, had sold theirs on and there were stories that a single pair of tickets was offered for as much as £2,500 (¥462,500).

On June 4, exactly 50 years after the Queen was crowned, a huge carnival procession of color, dance and music made its way up The Mall, the famous street leading to Buckingham Palace, watched by the Royal Family. It was shown for hours on national TV — the most ambitious broadcast ever undertaken — and made a spectacular sight.

Others chose to mark the event in their own special way. For example, the Royal Mail has printed billions of special gold-colored stamps and the car manufacturer, Bentley, built a special limousine just for the Queen. There were more bizarre products on sale, too. One company launched a Union Jack nappy, complete with a flag, while one cafe owner created a range of food made up to look like famous British attractions. It included the Millennium Dome made out of a sponge pudding and custard while Tower Bridge was built out of baked beans and sausages — all favorite food for us Britons!

However people marked this special month, all agreed it was well worth it. For not only did it bring people together, it reminded them of the role of the Royal Family in this country in the 21st Century. The monarchy has suffered its share of problems and heartache as well as criticism from some, but the Jubilee did it a lot of good. In proving that the Queen is still in touch with her people, she earned respect and admiration during those few days in June for many more years to come.

Shukan ST: June 21, 2002

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