Queen Elizabeth Celebrates Special Milestone

By Allison Schonter

Queen Elizabeth is celebrating yet another milestone amid her history-making reign. To celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne, the royal household in October invited people across the U.K. to take part in the Queen's Green Canopy initiative. Using the phrase "Plant a tree for the Jubilee," people have been encouraged e to plant their own trees, and on Thursday the Queen announced that more than one million "Jubilee" trees have already been planted.

In a public message shared via the royal family's social media accounts and issued from the Queen's residence at Windsor Castle, Her Majesty offered a message of gratitude for everyone who has taken part in the special celebrations. The 95-year-old monarch said, "As the planting season draws to a close, I send my sincere thanks to everyone across the country who has planted a tree to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee." The Queen added that she is "deeply touched that so many community groups, schools, families and individuals have made their own unique contributions to the Green Canopy initiative." The monarch concluded the message, "I hope your Jubilee trees flourish and grow for many years to come, for future generations to enjoy."

The Queen's Green Canopy initiative was first announced in mid-2021 ahead of the 2022 Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A "green" initiative to mark the special occasion, the Queen and her son, Prince Philip, planted the first Jubilee tree at Windsor Castle in early 2021 before encouraging others to "plant a tree for the jubilee."

"Whether you are an individual hoping to plant a single sapling in your garden, a school or community group planting a tree, a council, charity or business intending to plant a whole avenue of trees or a farmer looking to create new hedgerows, everyone across the country can get involved," Charles said at the time, BBC reported.

In the months since the initiative officially kicked off, a number of high-profile figures have planted Jubilee trees of their own, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other members of the British royal family. To mark the last day of the current planting season, the Queen's daughter-in-law Sophie, Countess of Wessex, joined schoolchildren on the grounds of the Buckingham Palace gardens to plant an elm tree "that will form part of a UK-wide canopy to mark the [Platinum Jubilee]," Buckingham Palace announced Thursday.

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