Queen will not address the nation when she reaches this historic landmark next month

The Queen will not speak to the public when she passes her Platinum Jubilee on February 6, according to a royal expert

Queen won't address the nation on Ascension Day next month
(Image credit: Dan Kitwood - WPA Pool /Getty Images)

The Queen will not address the nation when she reaches her Platinum Jubilee next month, a royal correspondent has claimed. 


The Queen is unlikely to deliver a speech to the British public when she passes her Platinum Jubilee, according to a royal insider. 

Her Majesty, who will officially celebrate her 70-year-reign on 6 February, is instead expected to spend the historic day in "somber reflection" at Sandringham House. The poignant date marks both her 1952 ascension to the throne and the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI, making it an emotionally charged occasion for the grieving monarch. 

"There will be no broadcast to the nation, for Her Majesty, who will be 96 in April, it will be a day in quiet, somber reflection," royal author Robert Jobson told the Mirror.

The Queen will spend 6 February commemorating her late father, King George VI 

(Image credit: Getty)

 The Queen flew by helicopter from Windsor Castle to Sandringham last week, after being forced to cancel her highly-anticipated Christmas celebrations at the Norfolk estate due to rising Covid-19 rates in late December. 

She is understood to be staying at the property's secluded Wood Farm, a five-bedroom cottage that was home to Prince Philip for most of his retirement. It's believed that she will reside at Sandringham for a few weeks, keeping with her tradition of remaining at the 20,000-acre estate until her father's anniversary. 

The day is bound to bring up painful memories for the Queen, who was just 25 when King George VI died suddenly after undergoing lung surgery. 

"I've lost count of how many times I've been asked, first as a reporter, then as a former press secretary and now as a royal commentator, how the Queen celebrates the anniversary of her accession," Her Majesty's former press spokesperson, Dickie Arbiter, said. 

"My answer has always been the same: 'You don't celebrate the death of your father.'"

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in the gardens at Windsor Castle, England on July 8, 1946

A teenage Queen Elizabeth II with her father, King George VI, in 1946

(Image credit: Photo by Studio Lisa/Getty Images)

Given the poignant nature of the date, the Queen typically spends Ascension Day absorbed in deep commemoration and mourning. Last year, she was reportedly visited by a vicar at Windsor Castle, who said prayers in memory of King George VI and the Queen Mother at the Berkshire estate's chapel. 

The Queen won't be hiding out forever, though. She is expected to make multiple public appearances at her Platinum Jubilee celebrations this summer, which will take place across the nation over a four-day long bank holiday weekend in June. 

Emma Dooney
Lifestyle News Writer

Hailing from the lovely city of Dublin, Emma mainly covers the Royal Family and the entertainment world, as well as the occasional health and wellness feature. Always up for a good conversation, she has a passion for interviewing everyone from A-list celebrities to the local GP - or just about anyone who will chat to her, really.

Emma holds an MA in International Journalism from City, University of London, and a BA in English Literature from Trinity College Dublin.