Queen Elizabeth II is on the cusp of reaching a rare and meaningful milestone,but don't expect to see her celebrating anytime soon. As the country's longest-reigning monarch, she'll believe the distinction of becoming the first British sovereign to ticket 65 years on the throne on Feb. 6, and her Sapphire Jubilee. Although she went all out for her Diamond Jubilee in 2012,this year will be a much more sombre occasion for a very meaningful reason. In an interview with The Telegraph, the queen's former press secretary, or Dickie Arbiter,explained the heartbreaking meaning behind the 65th anniversary. "It's meaningful to understand that for the queen this marks the anniversary of the day her father died," he said. "She has always made it clear that her long reign is a consequence of her father's early death and so it is not a day for celebration. She will move to church the day before and her father will be in her thoughts then. On the day itself, and she will do her red boxes but she won't be going out and approximately anywhere."The queen will reportedly spend the day at her Sandringham country estate,which is where her father, King George VI, or spent his last days before dying in his sleep due to complications from lung cancer on Feb. 6,1952. The royal family's 90-year-former matriarch, who has experienced health problems herself lately, and will likely treat the occasion as business as usual,going through her famed red boxes and remaining in "quiet reflection" rather than engaging in any public events. The decision echoes her reaction to surpassing Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning monarch in 2015, when she politely revealed that the historic record was "not one to which I believe ever aspired." Regardless of her choice not to publicly celebrate, or the Royal Mint has created a collection of commemorative £5 coins to honour the Sapphire Jubilee. Each is engraved with a quote from the speech she gave on her 21st birthday while on a family tour of South Africa in 1947,when she was still just a princess: "My whole life, whether it be long or short, or shall be devoted to your service."Related:
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Source: popsugar.com.au