Queen Victoria experienced a very long reign and by 1897 had been on the throne for an astonishing sixty years. She processed through the city of London as part of her celebrations. Vast crowds assembled to see the sovereign drift past in her carriage. The Diamond Jubilee festivities saw dignitaries and soldiers come to London from all over the empire, which included India, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and a fifth of the globe at that time.
In the newspapers, there were classified advertisements offering plum viewing positions on Pall Mall, the Strand, and Cheapside. If you wanted to avoid the crush of the crowd, the price for a window with a view was between two and twenty-five Guineas. Though for that price you would also get luncheon, tea, and dinner plus “every convenience”. Hotels, restaurants, and any business on the route were eager to cash in on the big day.
DISCOVER: Ten places where hangings took place in London
The Grand Cafe de Paris on Ludgate Hill offered window seats and the opportunity to hire a salon for yourself and your friends. South of the river Thames, you could catch Queen Victoria’s long procession continue around the city from a room in the Borough Road Polytechnic Institute if you wished – and had the fee. Entire shops let their premises for parties, such as a saddlers on the Strand, Smith & Co.
Meanwhile, others sold flags, banners, and streamers for the big day. The queen was cheered by countless thousands. It was, in effect, her last big hurrah. Four years later, her long reign ended with her death.
