Queen Victoria replaced him. Salisbury remained prime minister for the remainder of Victoria's reign. On 23 September 1896, Victoria surpassed her grandfather George III as the longest-reigning monarch in British history. The Queen requested that any special celebrations be delayed until 1897, to coincide with her Diamond Jubilee, which was made a festival of the British Empire at the suggestion of the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain. The prime ministers of all the self-governing Dominions were invited to London for the festivities. One reason for including the prime ministers of the Dominions and excluding foreign heads of state was to avoid having to
Queen Victoria Golden Jubilee Medal Review at Spithead, where the commander of each ship received the medal in silver. A Police Golden Jubilee Medal of a different design was awarded to members of the Metropolitan and City of London Police Forces on duty during the jubilee celebrations. The Golden Jubilee Medal was struck to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's reign. It measures in diameter. On the obverse Queen Victoria is depicted crowned and wearing a veil which falls over the back of the head and neck, with the text . The reverse bears the words within a garland of roses, shamrock and thistles.