Seven decades in seven days - 2010s

2 min read

Today is the last day of our Seven decades in seven days series and we are looking at the most recent full decade of Queen Elizabeth II reign. In this final article, we are taking a trip to London for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

2010s: 2012 London Olympics and Paralympic flags

As we conclude with the last 10 years of the Queen’s reign there are so many stand out royal moments. The Royal weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry saw our streets lined with bunting and the birth of Prince George had us speculating on his name for weeks.

However, our final object had to be related to the 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics which saw sporting fever erupting throughout the country. Who could forget the Queen's arrival into the Olympic Park, with her body double skydiving into the stadium flanked by James Bond. This perfectly captured the nation's jubilation to be hosting the event.

A digital photograph from our collection: A large screen erected in Winchester Cathedral grounds during the London 2012 Olympics. People gathered to watch television coverage of Team GB divers Thomas Daley and Peter Waterman.

Throughout the summer, crowds gathered to share in the event together. The Olympic Torch relay passing through Basingstoke, Winchester, and the New Forest saw people lining the streets. Large public screens were erected in our town and city centres so we could enjoy this sporting event together.

Winchester city centre was decorated for the Olympics. Bunting like this example from our collection, was strung up throughout Winchester city centre.

The Queen, a patron of Team GB amongst so many other sporting institutions praised the power of sport in bringing communities together. This was certainly the case in 2012.

Take a look back at other articles in the Seven decades in seven days series and other Jubilee related content here.

Jubilee - Culture on Call
Culture on Call is a digital publication by Hampshire Cultural Trust, designed to bring culture and communities together during the pandemic.
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