1935: King George V Silver Jubilee

King George V was the first British monarch to celebrate a Silver Jubilee to mark his 25 years on the throne. Previously, British monarchs had only ever celebrated jubilees every 50 years. Silver jubilee celebrations occurred far and wide on 6 May 1935 with street parties being prevalent. Due to Britain’s high unemployment and economic difficulties at the time, King George V didn’t want the costs of putting on a jubilee to cost too much or take money away from other important causes. Following with the tradition of past British jubilees, the theme of helping others was apparent as King George V commissioned trees to be planted in his honour, providing work to hundreds of people.