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 Statue, Weymouth Queen Victoria Statue, Weymouth Queen Victoria Statue is a statue of Queen Victoria, located at Weymouth, Dorset, England. Designed by George Blackall Simonds, the statue was erected to commemorate the Queen's reign. It features a life-size bronze figure of the Queen on a podium made from Portland stone by Messrs. Singer, of Frome. The Mayor of Weymouth, Mr. John Bagg, organised the collection of funds for the statue, which was unveiled by Princess Henry of Battenberg on October 20 1902. The statue has been a Grade II listed monument since 1997. Historic England recorded that the statue was in a