On Tuesday 5th June the British people celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with an extra Bank Holiday, and many Riviera ex-pats will mark the event with them.

The French and Italian Riviera itself was popularised largely during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II's great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who visited this coatline regularly to escape the English winter along with many of the other gentry at the time, and their memory lives on in place names and building styles.

Queen Victoria's first visit to the Riviera was in fact to Menton in 1882, exactly 130 years ago.

Among Queen Victoria's final words as she was dying were 'Oh, if only I were at Nice, I should recover.'

The Riviera remains the height of aspiration for a large swathe of middle class English who whilst taking up permanent residence here remain steadfastly English to the core, as demonstrated by the profusion of British clubs, societies and media based on both the French and Italian Rivieras.

It is no surprise then, that we should honour and celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee and there are a number of home celebrations taking place as well as one organised by the Royal British Legion here on the Riviera.

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Event at the Yacht Club Monaco to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee