Children to be given ultimate Platinum Jubilee keepsake with book that celebrates Queen's legacy

Primary schoolchildren are to be given a book as a keepsake to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.

From mid-May, the book will be handed out to children in state-funded primary schools across the country, the Department for Education said.

Famous quotes from the monarch, along with details about the lives of significant Commonwealth figures, such as Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, will feature in the book.

Nadhim Zahawi, the Education Secretary, said the book will be aimed at “celebrating and showcasing the Queen’s incredible living legacy”, and will also feature a timeline of Queen Elizabeth’s life and facts about the coronation ceremony.

Created with the help of royal experts and historians, The Queen Elizabeth: A Platinum Jubilee Celebration will allow children to trace the highlights of the royal reign through a story featuring a young girl called Isabella.

She is told all about Queen Elizabeth and this year’s upcoming Jubilee during a visit to her Great Granny Joyce’s house.

It is hoped the book will help children understand how the four nations came together as one United Kingdom, including details such as Owain Glyndwr’s rebellion against the English in 1400 to take the title of Prince of Wales.

Children will also be able to personalise their own copies when the illustrated reference book is made available later this month.

Mr Zahawi said: “Queen Elizabeth II is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee and Her Majesty’s dignity, commitment and grace continues to inspire people all over the world.

“Millions of children will soon receive their own commemorative Jubilee book, celebrating and showcasing the Queen’s incredible living legacy.

“I hope all our pupils are as excited as I am to read about Her Majesty’s amazing life and the people and events that have shaped history during the last 70 years.”

A page in the book reads: “During [the Queen’s] reign, the world has changed in so many ways… [this book] will help you understand the amazing life and times of our Queen and the magic of the unique, unshakable bond she shares with the people she serves.”

The book, which can also be bought privately from June 23, will be delivered in September to schools in Scotland and Wales who have opted in to receive copies.

It is also part of the National Literacy Trust’s Platinum Jubilee Royal Reading Challenge.

A concert, street parties and an extra bank holiday for the Jubilee weekend itself from June 2 to 5 are among a series of events that are being held to help celebrate the landmark occasion.

The book was commissioned by the UK Government and is being published by DK Books. It has been designed for a reading age of 9-10 years, but will be accessible to all primary school age children.

The move comes as Tory MPs urge the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to announce a new national bank holiday before the Platinum Jubilee as a way of recognising the Queen’s extraordinary contribution to public life.

More than 30 Conservative backbenchers, including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former party leader, and Damian Green, the former deputy prime minister, have thrown their weight behind a campaign to create a “Thank Holiday” in Her Majesty’s honour.

The extra day off, which would take the UK’s bank holidays up to nine compared with France and Germany’s 11, would also be in recognition of people who use their time to help their communities as volunteers and public servants.