The Platinum Jubilee – A Snapshot Of The Past 70 Years
By Ana Zuravliova
On February 6th, 1952, the then 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth Duchess of Edinburgh ascended to the throne following the death of her father King George VI. 70 years on, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been a point of consistency not only for the lives of those in the UK, but across the commonwealth and the world. A lot has changed in these seven decades, with much of our modern world looking wildly different from that cold winter’s day in 1952. Today, we’ll be exploring some of the greatest styles from the past seven decades, and – for inspiration – we’ve even included some images of modern homes that have perfectly captured the influences of each era!
1953 – the year of the coronation
On June 2nd, 1953, the world was glued to the ancient coronation ceremony where venerable rites and rituals were performed to crown her Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). While TV was making its first steps into our homes – with sales boosted heavily by the televised coronation – the early 1950s were a time few of us would recognise today.
By the time of the coronation, World War Two had only been over for eight years and much of the discomfort from that time remained. Sugar, butter, margarine, cooking fat, bacon and even tea were still rationed but people made do and despite these challenges, the 1950s took on a distinct style of its own!
Much of the style from the 1950s was inspired by young people rebelling against the final elements of the Victorian world. The stovepipe trousers, velvet-collar jackets, and colourful socks of the teddy boys burst onto the world while in America, denim jeans and leather jackets were being popularised by stars including Marlon Brando and James Dean. Women took to wearing trousers and pencil silhouettes while Audrey Hepburn helped popularise a chic, casual look, pairing dark, slim trousers with simple boat-necked tops and pumps.
In interior design, the austere elements of British homes gave way to colour and innovative, forward-thinking furnishings. Floral, fruit and abstract patterns were everywhere alongside clean angular lines, plenty of glass and even patio doors to connect a home more easily to the outside world. Find the perfect 50s inspired products in our Jubilee Coronation Collection!
1977 – the silver jubilee
25 years following the Queen’s ascension to the throne, the world of the silver jubilee was really very different! Rationing had ended, the fun and craziness of the 1960s had taken the world by storm, rock and roll had evolved and grown through the 70s, and by 1977 the style of the decade had become truly established.
In 1977, the sporty jumpsuit hit women’s fashion, Led Zeppelin played their last gig and the first Star Wars movie burst onto the silver screen changing cinema forever. Beyond the specifics of the year, the 1970s was a transformative decade in terms of everything from art to politics, and fashion to food. The fashionable style of the 1970s wasn’t just the caricature stereotype we often picture of raised shoes, big hair, and flared trousers – it was far more substantive. Colour dominated the 1970s. Whether it’s the block colours found in clothes at the end of the decade, or the snazzy patterns found throughout it, colour was everywhere. Varied shades of orange, green and yellow were put to great use in everything from cushions to cardigans.
In the homes of those celebrating the Queen’s silver jubilee you would likely find bright and rich colours nestled amongst neutral shades of cream and brown. Additionally, there would be a variety of shapes and patterns, not to mention plenty of soft fabrics including silk and velvet – it truly was a remarkable style decade! What’s more, to help you easily find some fashionable 70s inspired products, we’ve also made a special Silver Jubilee Collection, check it out today!
2002 – the golden jubilee
The golden jubilee was the Queen’s first big celebration of the new millennium. This was the immediate time following brit pop, where Cool Britannia had once again gripped the world. Oasis were still taking the world by storm, Elon Musk founded SpaceX and the second Lord of The Rings film was released to critical acclaim.
With the new millennium, there was a positivity in the air and while moments in the opening years would change the course of human events forever, it’s important to remember the optimism which the golden jubilee symbolised.
Modern punk was a style made popular by musicians including Avril Lavigne and Christina Aguilera and while its roots can be found in the punk styles of previous years, this wasn’t quite as despairing or apocalyptic, it had chic elements that made it fun. During these early years of the 21st century however, the styles in our homes started to look different from the clothes we would wear.
In the home, audiences for the Queen’s golden jubilee would gather around TVs that were becoming flatter in spaces that were more open plan, with light wood colours and lots of right angles. It was an age of speedy technological development and by the next jubilee, the world would have seriously changed again!
2012 – the diamond jubilee
2012 was a great year for big events. Not only did the nation celebrate Her Majesty’s diamond jubilee, but a skydiver made history by smashing the world record for the highest skydive after jumping from over 128,000ft, and London hosted the Olympics.
In the intervening 60 years since becoming monarch much of the world had changed. A world that was still somewhat formal had become casual, suits had been usurped by t-shirts, the cars didn’t cough and splutter as much and the food had become more colourful and exotic. Even since the golden jubilee a lot in the world had changed by 2012. This was the era of an emergent Facebook, digital 3D movies and in 2012, Netflix launched in the UK.
To an extent, it was around the diamond jubilee that much of life moved online, but even with throwing sheep, poking, and bingeing boxed sets, people still cared about what they wore and where they lived in the real world. Clothes tended to be more fitted with a slim silhouette with a return to patterns. Large floral prints and vibrant colours were very “of the moment”, and in interior design, soft teals, duck egg blues, velvets and super textured fabrics were on trend.
2022 – the platinum jubilee
Styles have continued to evolve in the past 10 years but what’s becoming increasingly apparent is our approach to technology in the home.
Historically, you could date a home by the colours, the shapes or materials used, but today you can only really do that by looking at the technology. Interior design in 2022 is very much inspired by the past – think Cottagecore and Grandmillennial – which can make it hard to quickly identify today’s homes by date.
Instead, the innovation and forward looking elements of home design are instead focused on smart TVs, virtual assistant technologies like Alexa and Google Nest, and even furnishings such as remote controlled electric blinds.
A lot has changed in these seven decades, with much of our modern world looking wildly different from that cold winter’s day in 1952. Everything from clothing to technology has been revolutionised. What the future will hold, no one knows for sure, but it will be exciting to see how we change the ways we live, and what exciting new developments are on the horizon!
