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 Memorial, Penang at Malacca were invited to contribute to these, and, indeed, did so, Penang and Malacca decided to proceed with their own efforts to preserve the memory of their late monarch. Malacca's efforts took the form of a Victoria Memorial Fountain which was completed by the end of February 1905. Built by Messrs. Doulton and Sons on the banks of the River Thames, Malacca's Queen Victorial Memorial Fountain was constructed of glazed gresyish-green earthenware with blue tints and was situated on the clocktower green. It had been shipped over in numbered bricks for reassembly locally. At Penang a public meeting was