Never mind the Olympics — get set for the Jubilee

Free and open to everyone, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 will eclipse the London Games, says Robert Hardman — an unforgettable tribute to the monarch

Millions gathered on the streets; people of every generation from every background joining in the fun; all the corners of the kingdom united in one thoroughly British occasion… 2012 really is going to see one hell of a party. In fact, buy your Union flags now because there won’t be any left by then.

And hang on to them. Because you might just need them for the follow-on event — the supporting gig otherwise known as the London Olympics. Yes, the Games will produce great scenes and big cheers for the endeavours of ‘Team GB’. But even louder will be the reception for an elderly woman whose performance will be remembered for much longer than any sporting moment at the London Games.

Olympics come and go every four years and, every 50 years or so, they end up in London. Up to now, only one monarch in history has celebrated a Diamond Jubilee. So when the Queen reaches her 60th year on the throne in 2012, the celebrations will be truly momentous. Just as Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897 was an occasion for monumental imperial festivities, so we can expect a similar outpouring of affection for her great-great-granddaughter.

And the occasion will have one insuperable advantage over the Olympics. The Jubilee will be open to everyone and it will cost nothing whereas the Games come with a projected £9.3 billion (or is it £20 billion?) price tag. And you don’t get in without a ticket. In the feverish summer of 2012, the public will not be slow to appreciate the contrast. Politicians, take note.