TREES FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S PLATINUM JUBILEE
This photo is one Heather took on the day in late November, 1993, when we toured Windsor Castle. The grounds were lovely and stately trees were plentiful. One of my strongest memories of our brief visit to London is that the trees were so much older than any I’d ever seen in the United States! I particularly remember standing under an ancient huge sycamore tree in St. James Park. The second photo is a view of swans at that historic London park.
Today I was reading about plans for the June, 2022, Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Next year will mark her 70th year as monarch—the first ever to reach that milestone. A major aspect of that planned celebration is the Queen’s Green Canopy—which encourages people throughout the United Kingdom to plant new trees through 2022 and to protect ancient woodlands and forests. For the Platinum Jubilee, they will highlight 70 irreplaceable ancient woodlands and identify 70 ancient trees. The Woodland Trust is offering 3 million free saplings to schools and communities.
In March, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth planted the first Jubilee tree at Windsor Castle.
She has planted well over 1,500 trees during her reign in many countries of the Commonwealth. And she was actually in a tree when she became Queen! She and Prince Philip were touring Kenya and staying at Treetops, a guest house in a giant Kenyan fig tree when the word came that her father King George VI had died—and she was now the monarch.
Here’s a link showing photos of the queen from age 11 to her 90s planting trees.
Prince Charles made a promotional video for honoring his mother’s Platinum Jubilee by planting a tree, which he said is a symbol of “faith and hope in the future.” A “tree-bilee” sounds like the perfect tribute for the 70th anniversary of this queen.
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