A new commemorative medal, approved by The Queen of Canada, is being created in Canada to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne.
The medals were unveiled on 3 February 2011 at Rideau Hall, Ottawa.
Rideau Hall states that The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal will be a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it will serve to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
The Chancellery of Honours, as part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, will administer the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal program.
The inaugural presentation ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee Medal will take place in 2012. Further details will be announced in due course.
…Description of the medal…
The obverse depicts a crowned image of the Sovereign, in whose name the medal is bestowed. The reverse marks the sixtieth, or diamond, anniversary of the accession to the Throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The anniversary is expressed by the central diamond shape, by the background composed of a pattern of diamonds, and by the two dates. The Royal Cypher consists of the Royal Crown above the letters EIIR (i.e., Elizabeth II Regina, the latter word meaning Queen in Latin). The maple leaves refer to Canada, while the motto VIVAT REGINA means “Long live The Queen!”
The ribbon uses a new arrangement of the blue, red and white colours found in the 1953 Coronation Medal, the 1977 Silver Jubilee Medal, and the 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal
The design of the medal, created by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, was unveiled at Rideau Hall, the Ottawa home of the Governor General, on 3 February 2011.
….Canada’s heritage is forever linked to the Crown…"
At a preview of the medal, the His Excellency the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, said:
"This medal is an opportunity to come together as a nation, to celebrate service and to see how we are brought together through action and by the very fact that Canada’s heritage is forever linked to the Crown."
His Excellency was joined by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, who unveiled the official emblem for the Diamond Jubilee year and invited Canadians to prepare to mark this important anniversary in 2012.
ACM is proposing to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition that Australia follow this Canadian example
