Empire Day

« July 1994 Revolution

President Jammeh, a true pan africanist ... »

1 of 2

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Empire Day was celebrated every 24th May. The very idea of the day, according to historians, would have been considered as early as 1897.

The image of a motherly Queen Victoria, Empress of the British colonies, as its paramount ruler, would be shared by an Empire spanning almost a quarter of the entire globe.However it was not until after the death of Queen Victoria, who died on 22 January 1901, that Empire Day was first celebrated. The first 'Empire Day' took place on 24th May 1902, the Queen's birthday.

Although not officially recognised as an annual event until 1916, many schools across the British Empire were celebrating it before then. Each Empire Day, millions of school children from all walks of life across the length and breadth of the British Empire would typically salute the union jack and sing patriotic songs like God Save the Queen.

Author: DO

Media Actions

Email to a friend