"The Golden Jubilee: unveiling of the statue of Queen Victoria on Castle Hill, Windsor, 22 June" by R. T. Pritchett (1828-1907)

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The Golden Jubilee: unveiling of the statue of Queen Victoria on Castle Hill, Windsor, 22 June

Robert Taylor Pritchett (1828–1907)

22 June 1887

Watercolour

25.0 x 17.2 cm (whole object)

RCIN 920806. Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023

[Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

As was to be expected, the neighbouring communities of Windsor and Eton, with their close links and, especially, the very important role of Windsor Castle as a royal abode, celebrated the Queen's Golden Jubilee in grand style. [Commentary continues below.]

Image download, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.

The focus of these festivities was the unveiling of Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm's new statue of the Queen at the foot of Castle Hill. Pritchett catches the very moment, and the colourful uniforms of the heralds and other personnel, with a glimpse of the royal carriage in the background.

The Golden Jubilee in Windsor and Eton

This whole-page spread in the following week's Illustrated London News (on 2 July 1887, p. 13) shows various triumphal arches, a torchlight procession of the Eton boys, and the illumination of Windsor's central tower. Most space goes to the unveiling. But here the emphasis is a little different: the moment has passed, the royal carriage is just driving past, and in the middle stand some fashionably-dressed women. Pritchett knew his role as a recorder of the pageantry of the event, over which the new, commemorative statue itself seems to preside.

Links to Related Material

The statue of Queen Victoria at Windsor by Sir Edgar Joseph Boehm

Bibliography

"The Golden Jubilee: unveiling of the statue of Queen Victoria on Castle Hill, Windsor, 22 June." Royal Collection Trust. Web. 16 September 2023.

Picture-spread in The Illustrated London News. 2 July 1887. Internet Archive, from microfilm. Web. 16 September 2023.

Created 16 September 2023