HM The Queen at the JTC Diamond Recollection presentation. Photo © RCS.
2012 has been marked by HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations across the Commonwealth. The Royal Commonwealth Society marked the jubilee with the world’s largest online history project, called the Jubilee Time Capsule (JTC). The Capsule represents a collection of videos, photographs, drawings, essays and poems that reflect life in the Commonwealth over the past 60 years.
37, 163 people from 66 countries submitted their memorable moments to the digital archive that will be preserved online as a memory of the Diamond Jubilee year. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie, the Dean of Westminster Dr Hall, BBC presenter George Alagiah, television presenter and a former BBC Royal reporter Jennie Bond, Oscar Pistorius and Richard Branson were among the contributors.
On Wednesday, 14 November HM The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, visited the Royal Commonwealth Society headquarters in London to officially seal the Jubilee Time Capsule and accept the Diamond Recollection of the top 60 contributions into the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle. 12 year old Malawi boy John Samson presented HM The Queen with a gift of a Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 computer tablet, containing the Diamond Recollection, chosen by a panel of judges out of the 80, 000 entries from across the Commonwealth.
Dr Danny Sriskandarajah, The Very Reverend Dr Hall and Pearl Amoateng at the RCS HQ.
I submitted 37 contributions to the Jubilee Time Capsule and I was thrilled to find out that one of my memories was chosen to become a part of the Diamond Recollection. Notting Hill Carnival 2011 followed London riots very closely and there was an atmosphere of uncertainty about this annual August bank holiday event. But over a million revellers came together to celebrate Europe’s biggest street festival, that has been held in the best traditions of Rio in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea since 1966.
Eugenie Absalom next to Notting Hill Carnival 2011 screen at the JTC Diamond Recollection presentation.
Notting Hill Carnival is a magnificent British tradition. It has its roots in the 19th century Caribbean carnivals, celebrating the emancipation of slavery. And it has high artistic values. Dance and music are at the heart of the carnival: Calypso, born in the sugar plantations of Trinidad, steel bands and drummers accompany the 20 mile vibrant procession. Afro Caribbean community of London, represented particularly by British Trinis, show off their cultural heritage at its best and provide tons of fun for the onlookers. It is very important to preserve this fascinating event, that combines the spirit of liberation with a deep rooted theatrical tradition, for generations to come.
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The Royal Collection is one of the largest and most important art collections in the world. It is running more than a million objects and is held in trust by The Queen as Sovereign for her successors and the nation.
News and photos by Eugenie Absalom
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