Central Library celebrates the Queen’s Mancunian side for Jubilee month

Running until the end of June, a collaboration between Manchester City Council, Manchester Metropolitan University and Archives+ has produced a celebratory exhibition of Queen Elizabeth II, her astonishing longevity and the Crown’s profound connection to the city of Manchester throughout her reign. Situated on the ground floor of Central Library, the display welcomes visitors of all ages and features engrossing archival footage intertwined with a regional history of our longest-serving monarch, in honour of her Platinum Jubilee.

Beginning with her birth in 1926, the Royal retrospective chronicles all the key personal events and notable milestones of Elizabeth’s life, while also featuring fascinating lesser-known details of her visits to Manchester over seventy years. Produced by MMU’s North West Film Archive, rare videos of both the Queen and the city offers an unprecedented look at the changing landscape of Mancunian life since her coronation.

Cited as ‘a wonderful opportunity for residents to learn about the local history and Her Majesty’s connection to our city’ by councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, the exhibition is free to all across the entire month in celebration of the once-in-a-lifetime occasion.