Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration Coins Revealed — Featuring Her Favorite Pastime!
Queen Elizabeth is celebrating a major milestone this year — her Platinum Jubilee! The occasion marks 70 years of her rule as Queen of the British Commonwealth, and the Royal Mint is releasing a special line of coins to celebrate. If you’re a royal-watcher, you might be pleasantly surprised to see that one of them features Queen Elizabeth riding horseback!
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is an especially big deal because no other British monarch has ever reached this anniversary. Queen Elizabeth was crowned on February 6, 1952, at just 25 years old, after her beloved father, King George VI, died following many years of illness. She and her husband Prince Philip, who passed away last year, were on a royal tour at the time with their son Prince Charles, who was only three years old.
Queen Elizabeth surpassed Queen Victoria as the longest-serving monarch in 2015. Queen Victoria reached her Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years of reign, before dying during her 63rd year as monarch.
That means that this is a big moment for the Queen, and the Royal Mint decided to honor a more personal side of Her Majesty with their celebratory line. The coins are gorgeous, but what caught our attention is a special detail they included to honor Her Majesty.
One design features Queen Elizabeth on horseback, her favorite pastime. Despite being 95 years old, the Queen most recently rode horseback last September. She’s since had to give up her favorite hobby due to discomfort, but her passion for horses has been lifelong. Last year, the Royal Twitter account posted pictures of the Queen riding horses over the years.
Horses aren’t just a hobby for Her Majesty, either. Owning, racing, and selling horses is also a business for her — and one that’s been very profitable! A 2017 statistic showed that she made nearly $9 million in the last 30 years, a sum she’s certainly surpassed since. According to People Magazine, the Queen was gifted her first pony when she was four years old, and won her first race in 1949 when she was a 23-year-old princess.
Horses are clearly a huge part of Queen Elizabeth’s life, and it’s sweet that the Royal Mint decided to include a tribute to that fact in her milestone celebration!
