Despite the deaths of her mother and her sister earlier in the year, both the Queen and Prince Philip embarked upon a large-scale series of engagements to commemorate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002. The royal couple travelled more than 40,000 miles, visiting many Commonwealth countries, including Australia and Canada, as well as undertaking an extensive tour of all corners of the United Kingdom. It was to prove the last time they went on an extended long-distance tour. Despite having known him for a longer period, relations with her prime minister had not grown more comfortable. When discussing the celebrations with the Queen, Tony Blair made a faux pas when he referred to ‘the Golden Jubilee’. The Queen corrected him with a sharp: ‘No, Mr Blair; my Golden Jubilee.’

Ten years later, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee was an even more spectacular event and demonstrated throughout the land the esteem, love and respect the population held for their monarch. Thousands of street parties were held up and down the country, with Morecambe in Lancashire claiming the record for the largest event with one of more than one-and-a-half miles long.

The showpiece event was the Diamond Jubilee Pageant on 3 June, when more than a million people lined the banks of the Thames, standing in the pouring rain, to witness the biggest spectacle on the river for more than 300 years. A thousand vessels completed a seven-mile-long voyage down the river to Tower Bridge. The Queen and her family, on the royal barge the Spirit of Chartwell, were cheered on by those lining the banks. Prince Philip endured the rain, standing in uncomplaining fortitude despite great pain from a bladder infection for which he was hospitalised soon after.

The following day, after a spectacular Diamond Jubilee concert in front of Buckingham Palace, Prince Charles made a moving speech paying tribute to his mother. He said: ‘So as a nation this is our opportunity to thank you and my father for always being there for us. For inspiring us with your selfless duty and service, and for making us proud to be British. The only sad thing about this evening is that my father cannot be here because unfortunately he has been taken unwell. Ladies and gentlemen, if we shout loud enough he might just hear us in hospital.’ A huge cheer then went up from the crowd. It was probably fair to say that perhaps Prince Philip had had some misgivings about the elaborate and extensive celebrations in any case. At a press party at Windsor Castle to celebrate the jubilee, I had the opportunity of having a few words with Prince Philip. I asked him which event he was most looking forward to. ‘When it’s all over,’ he said and turned on his heel and walked off.