View of the west front of St Paul's Cathedral during Victoria's Diamond Jubilee
 

The longest-reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee on June 22,  1897, marking 60 years of her reign. The  celebration began at St Paul's Cathedral, where a short service of thanksgiving was held outside the building, since the Queen was too  too lame to manage the steps. She then traveled through central and south London awhere she was greeted feverishly by tens of thousands of well-wishers. In her journal the Queen wrote: "No one ever, I believe, has met with such an ovation as was given to me, passing through those 6 miles of streets . . . The cheering was quite deafening & every face seemed to be filled with real joy. I was much moved and gratified."

Victoria's principal contribution to the British political system was the restoration of the dignity of and affection for the monarchy after the damage done by her Hanoverian predecessors. Raised in virtual seclusion under impoverished conditions at Kensington castle, Victoria grew up to learn she was hated by nearly all her relatives. Her secluded, fatherless life made her very susceptible to the attentions of nearly any man; a trait that not only resulted in love at first sight with her future husband, Albert, but in establishing strong personal relationships with several men after Albert died.

Albert's death nearly destroyed Victoria and she went into a long period of mounting, shut down from the rest of the world Eventually her seclu­sion led to a strong antagonism by her English subjects who demanded a more visible monarch. However, due to Disraeli's efforts, Victoria started to come out of seclusion at her Golden Jubilee and by the time of her Diamond Jubilee, Victoria had reearned the love and affection of her subjects.

There were numerous dishes created for Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, such as Shrimp Victoria, Chicken Victoria, and Sole Victoria. However, the most famous of the Diamond Jubilee tributes is Cherries Jubilee which was created by Escoffier whose original recipe did not include the now traditional vanilla ice cream. The cherries were simply served in a silver plate and lighted before serving.
 

Cherries Jubilee
 

1. Heat cherries in a small saucepan until they begin to give up their juice. Then add the cornstarch, and sugar stirring constantly. Bring the mixture just to a boil and turn off the heat. At this point, the juice should begin to thicken rapidly. Set aside.
2. Serve ice cream in dishes; cover with cold sauce
3. Add 1TB kirsch to each serving. Ignite with match flame. Makes 4 servings.
    

Shrimp Victoria
 

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 TB butter
1/2 bunch shallots (green onions), chopped
2 TB butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup Béchamel sauce*

16 large shrimp, boiled
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup of cooked rice
1 TB chopped parsley
pinch of thyme


 

1. Cook mushrooms in butter. Set aside.
2. Sauté shallots in butter. Add wine and blend in Béchamel sauce.
3. Add mushrooms and shrimp and blend in sour cream.
4. Serve with warm rice mixed with parsley and thyme in individual casseroles

Serves 2

*See Appendix A