The Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Australian Opposition: "We are indeed lucky as Australians to have had her as our Queen."

On the eve of the Diamond Jubilee Tony Abbott, Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Australian Opposition praised the Queen of Australia in Parliament:

I am grateful to be given these few moments to note that before the parliament next meets Her Majesty the Queen will have celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. I think it is worth recalling today the words of Prime Minister Ben Chifley when noting in this parliament many, many years ago the marriage between Princess Elizabeth and Phillip Mountbatten. Prime Minister Chifley said:

The members of this Parliament would wish to be associated directly with the general rejoicing throughout the Empire on the occasion …

He went on to say:

… all Australians regard with deep affection this charming girl, whose natural dignity, intelligence and nobility of mind so well equip her to become the ruler of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

That charming girl has become a gracious and dutiful monarch who has served this country and many others for 60 eventful years. We are indeed lucky as Australians to have had her as our Queen, and the whole world is lucky to have had such an exemplar of duty and service.

May I conclude with the words of the royal hymn, which I hope will be widely sung in this jubilee year: May God save our Queen, and may she long reign over us.

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ABC puts the Queen in the right position

The ABC was always to show the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in London live and with own staff commenting the event from the UK. But that was the ABC in the USA. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) had intended to screen the 1975 movie Shampoo starring Warren Beatty instead of covering one of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee main events live.

Thanks to the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM's) national convenor David Flint activities the ABC changed heart and dumped the film. Last Sunday ACM launched an online petition asking viewers "to show the ABC that they should perform the role and function for which they are funded by the taxpayers of Australia".

On Tuesday David Flint could triumph in his send out:

"ABC has buckled to monarchist pressure and will now screen Live coverage of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant on Sunday night in the Eastern States on ABC1 with Live coverage across Australia on ABC News 24."

The ABC's schedule:
On Sunday night (June 3) we will have the River Pageant on ABC1 from 11.30pm to 3.00 am – live coverage in the Eastern States- live/delayed in other states.

On ABC News 24 it will run live from 11.30pm to 3am. on Monday night 4th June 4 on ABC1 we will have the Highlights package from 6-7pm as already announced. (The rights to the concert are not available - see Channel 9 below)

On Tuesday night 5th June we will have coverage of arrivals at St Paul's Cathedral on ABC1 from 6-7pm – Live in Eastern states, delayed in other states.

On ABC1 from 22.30pm to 00.45am the coverage will include the carriage procession, gun salute, the palace balcony appearance etc. Live in Eastern States, delayed in other states.

On ABC News 24 the live coverage will run from 7pm including the Thanksgiving Service, through to 00.45am.

On Wednesday night (June 6) – ABC1 will have the highlights package from 6-7pm as already announced.

On Thursday night 7th June 7 – ABC1 will have a repeat of The Diamond Queen Ep 1 at 6:00pmOn Friday night 8th June 8 – ABC1 will have a repeat of The Diamond Queen Ep 2 at 6:00pm

On Saturday night 9th June 9 – ABC1 will have a repeat of The Diamond Queen Ep 3 at 5:30pm


The BBC and UKTV (available on Foxtel, Optusvision and Austar) are presenting large amounts of coverage direct from London of the Jubilee events.

Some specific highlights on UKTV are:

Sunday 3rd of June - 11:15pm - 3:15am - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant (repeated Monday evening at 8:00pm)

Tuesday 5th of June - 6:15pm -9:45pm - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Royal Procession

Tuesday 5th of June - 11:00pm -1:00am - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving

Wednesday 6th of June - 7:30pm - 10:55pm - The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert

Much of this will also be shown on the BBC World News service on Foxtel, Optusvision and Austar and the BBC on ABC News24.

As in the past the ABC has shown a complete and dare I say, in the opinion of yours truly, an arrogant disinterest in Royal events. But to give them credit: They are willing to correct some of their mistakes. And setting things right after committing an error is commendable.

Channel 9

Tuesday 5th June at 20.00 Diamond Jubilee Concert from Buckingham Palace celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee which marks 60 years of the Queen's reign. Acts include Kylie Minogue, Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, JL, Stevie Wonder, Madness, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney and Annie Lennox.

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Ahead of Diamond Jubilee: The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall met 28 living VCs and GCs

As the world prepares for the Diamond Jubilee, all 28 living holders of the Victoria Cross or the George Cross – the highest accolades for bravery in the Commonwealth – have been invited to London as guests of honour.

The Prince of Wales, President of The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association, and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a Victoria Cross and George Cross Association tea party at the In & Out, 4 St James's Square, London.

Pictured with Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla are:
BACK ROW Barry Johnson GC – critically injured after tackling a set of mortar bombs next to a hospital in Derry in October 1989.
Michael Pratt GC – police duty, Melbourne Australia, 1976.
Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith VC – the Australian became the association’s newest member after fighting off heavily armed insurgents in Afghanistan in 2006.
Kim Hughes GC – defused seven improvised explosive devices, three with his bare hands, in Afghanistan.
Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC – twice saved the lives of countless colleagues while under fire in 2004.
Lance Corporal Matt Croucher GC – threw himself on an exploding grenade to save his comrades in Afghanistan in 2008.
Jack Bamford GC – rescued brothers from a fire at the age of 15 in 1952.
Alfred Lowe GC – Royal Navy, 1948.

MIDDLE ROW Bill Speakman VC – fought off enemy fire in the Korean War in 1951 by throwing stones, shoes and beer bottles.
Henry Flintoff GC – rescued a farmer from a bull at the age of 13 in 1944.
Jim MacDonald – representing the Royal Ulster Constabulary (GC).
Awang Anak Raweng GC – Army scout, Malaya 1951.
Keith Payne VC – saved the lives of soldiers under his command in Vietnam in 1969.
Margaret Purves GC – rescued scout and leader from the sea at the age of 14 in South Wales in 1949. Joseph Zammit Tabona – representing Malta (GC)

FRONT ROW Stuart Archer – bomb disposal, South Wales, 1940.
Henry Stevens GC – police duty, Kent, 1958.
James Beaton – royal protection officer who foiled attempted kidnap of Princess Anne, 1974.
Captain Rambahadur Limbu VC – Gurkha, Indonesia 1965.
Tony Gledhill GC – police duty, London, 1966.
Major Peter Norton GC – supervised a major bomb disposal operation in Iraq in 2005 despite having suffered dreadful injuries.

SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson (to the left of the Queen) received the Victoria Cross in 2009, but was not present at Prince Charles' receiption. The photo shows Michael Pratt GC, Mark Donaldson VC and Keith Payne VC, at a reception for the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association on 10th November 2010.

 Australian Keith Payne VC, who won his VC in Vietnam in 1969, accepted the Diamond Jubilee medal from Prince Charles.

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New South Wales welcomes The Duke of Gloucester

His Royal Highness Prince Richard, The Duke of Gloucester, has returned to Australia. He spent a couple of years down under while his father served as Governor-General in Australia. In 1945, Prince Henry, who had been Chief Liaison Officer to the British Field Force in France, became Australia's first royal Governor General. The family moved to Australia.

On 21st May The Duke of Gloucester, who is 21st in line for the throne, arrived at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport. His Royal Highness, Grand Prior, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, attended a Service of Prayer to commemorate the Opening of the Grand Council of the Order at St. James Church, 173 King Street, Sydney.

The Duke of Gloucester afterwards attended a Reception given by the Premier of New South Wales, Barry O'Farrell, at Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney.

The next day, The Duke of Gloucester attended the Grand Council Meeting at the Shangri-La Sydney, 176 Cumberland Street, the Rocks, Sydney.

On 23rd May The Duke of Gloucester, Grand Prior, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, today attended the Grand Council Meeting at the Shangri-La Sydney, 176 Cumberland Street, the Rocks, Sydney.

His Royal Highness, who is Patron  of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, met Nuffield Australia Farming Scholars in Sydney. The charity organisation provides a scholarship scheme for the benefit of the Australian farming community.

Through the adoption of local and international best practice and continuous development of a network of industry leaders and innovators, the scholarship scheme promotes excellence in all aspects of Australian agricultural production, distribution and management.

That evening The Duke of Gloucester, Grand Prior, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, attended the Grand Council Dinner at the Shangri-La Sydney.

On 24th May The Duke of Gloucester was received for a Luncheon at New South Wales' upper house in the president’s dining room. The president, Don Harwin, had consulted the archives and dished up the same menu the duke’s father had been served in the same room when he ended his term as the Governor-General, 65 years ago.

In the evening His Royal Highness attended a Dinner given by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Ms. Quentin Bryce, at Government House, Canberra.

On 26th May The Duke of Gloucester presented the Duke of Gloucester Cup to the 2nd Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment at Victoria Barracks, Oxford Street, Sydney, New South Wales.

The Duke of Gloucester Cup

The Duke of Gloucester Cup, the three awards are presented to the most efficient infantry battalion of the Australian Army, ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), and squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during the previous year. The awards were created by HRH Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1946, while he was serving as the Governor-General of Australia, and were first presented in 1947. The RAAF's Gloucester Cup recognises the most proficient flying squadron during a calendar year.

The Duke of Gloucester’s Governor-Generalship was assessed by Max Harris in the Bulletin in 1983. Harris’ verdict was that ‘the Duke of Gloucester was our greatest Governor-General’. He justified his opinion with the following examples which illuminate the Duke’s activities whilst serving in the position:

It was the Gloucester concept of the office that differed from any other of the incumbents before or since. He believed that the Governor-General had to make himself visible to ordinary Australians… And it was up to him to go to them… Within two of Australia’s grimmest years, 1944 and 1945, by land and a problematical little aircraft, he covered 63 000 bush miles…

A soldier runs through the smoke during the bayonet assault course at the Duke of Gloucester cup.

Photographer: CPL Marshall Ryan

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Gurrumul to sing for the Queen

The Australian indigenous singer Gurrumul will perform a specially commissioned song at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert in London as part of a chorus of stars.

Gurrumul Yunupingu will share the stage with musical heavyweights like Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Tom Jones, Sir Elton John and Sir Cliff Richard on Monday, 4th June.

They'll perform the song Sing, which was written by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gary Barlow as part of musical celebrations for the Queen's 60-year reign.

The song has been recorded at studios around the world, including Australia, and Gurrumul's contribution is featured in the chorus, where he sings in his native Yolngu language.

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The Prime Minister of Canada on Victoria Day
 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement on the occasion of Victoria Day:

“Today, Laureen and I join Canadians from across the country in the official celebration of the birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.

“This joyous day comes as Canada and the Commonwealth celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with several special events and initiatives taking place throughout 2012.

“For six decades, The Queen and the people of Canada have shared a deep affection, and we pay tribute to the great dedication, distinction, and grace with which Her Majesty has served as Canada’s Head of State.

“Canadians are also marking the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the Throne by hosting Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall during their Diamond Jubilee Tour.

“Victoria Day also affords an opportunity to celebrate our proud heritage and the strong historical ties that have forged our close friendship with the United Kingdom.

 “On behalf of Canadians, I offer Her Majesty The Queen our most sincere and heartfelt wishes of health and happiness for many years to come.”

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The Queen has hailed the work of her Armed Forces

RAF Tucano aircraft form the number '60' to mark the number of years the Queen has spent on the throne.

At a Diamond Jubilee parade of more than 2,500 men and women from the military Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II expressed her appreciation.

"Chief of the Defence Staff;

I very much appreciate your kind words. It is a tradition of very long standing that the Sovereign, and members of the Royal Family, are intimately associated with the Armed Forces and have been proud to serve in all three services.

In addition we have special connections with particular commands of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines; Corps and Regiments of the Army, and Air Stations of the Royal Air Force. We greatly value these connections as it means we meet the wider family of wives and husbands of the currently serving men and women of the Armed Forces.

We are very proud of the selfless service, and sacrifices made by servicemen and women and their families in recent years. It is very gratifying to celebrate and take pride in successful achievements, but the real test of character is the ability to maintain morale and a positive spirit in bad times as well as when things are going well.

It is a great pleasure to see representatives of the three Armed Services here today, and it also gives me the opportunity to send greetings and best wishes to their families and friends, and to all those members of the Armed Services who cannot be here today."

 When 2,500 men and women from all three services marched, they were not merely saluting their sovereign but celebrating their own. As The Daily Telegraph noticed: The Armed Fordes celebrations were "with no politicians or celebrities daring to crash the event". However, foreign Monarchs were present. One could spot among others Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband, Prince Henrik, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Harald V of Norway, King Michael I of Romania and King Simeon II of the Bulgarians.

The Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir David Richards, praised The Queen's 60 years as sovereign: "Her Majesty's support and encouragement over the years has created a very special bond between the monarch and her forces. That link is felt by all those who have the privilege to wear Her Majesty's uniform."

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