How Does an Anglophile Properly Celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee?

Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation*

      What's all the hoopla and what is a Diamond Jubilee anyway?  For Queen Elizabeth II it means that for 60 of her 86 years she's been the Head of State of Great Britain and the Commonwealth nations of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several islands around the world.  It means that from June 2-5 during The Central Weekend she'll be honored with parties,
flotillas, and concerts.  OMQ (Oh My Queen)!  So much pomp and circumstance!  But it does commemorate the second longest running British monarch since Queen Victoria's reign, so it is a momentous occasion. 

      Not to be outdone by the British, we suggest an interpretation of the Big Lunch, their already popular national initiative of what we refer to as a block party, when friends and neighbors are encouraged to get together and share lunch.

A Royal Afternoon Tea Invitation
with a Commemorative Coronation Plate

An afternoon tea seems the most obvious get-together from this side of the pond and makes for a welcome change perhaps from a backyard barbecue.  A simple, but elegant, invitation (we've provided the basics in pdf form to construct your own) and you've set the tone for A Royal Afternoon Tea.  Use the menu we've suggested below or create your own interpretation.  Add some hydrangeas, a silver tea service, and some typically British music from Edward Elgar to Elton John and you'll have the makings of a truly memorable Diamond Jubilee just like in Merry Ol' England.  

      Long Live the Queen!

Diamond Jubilee Royal Afternoon Tea Menu

Peach Soup

English Pea and Avocado Salad

Cucumber and Cream Cheese on White Bread

Chicken with Garlic Aioli and Watercress on Multigrain Bread

Scones with Jam and Clotted Cream

Red Plum Cake

Lady Grey Tea

*Photo by Cecil Beaton

For more information on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee:

http://www.thediamondjubilee.org

The invitation is sized to fit an A6 envelop.  We suggest "papyrus" as your typeface.  After opening, pull down the file folder and download or e-mail the document .

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HTExfMP6TDJz17USgRT15ngELBvA4N2T83CVUnpeaSo/edit