PARLIAMENT will commemorate the Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary) of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II today with a joint sitting of both houses, hosted by the House of Representatives, starting at 2:00 pm at Gordon House.

Tributes will be paid to The Queen by selected individuals, including Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Opposition Leader Andrew Holness. It is also expected that the President of the Senate, Senator Stanley Redwood will also speak. After the meeting, a plaque commemorating the event will be unveiled.

“There is no doubt that Her Majesty has been a gracious and engaging lady and a model of dedication to duty,” Prime Minister Simpson Miller said on the issue during her Budget presentation yesterday.

Four beacons were lit across the island on Monday in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee.The locations were St William Grant Park in Kingston; Montego Bay Civic Centre; Seville Heritage Park, St Ann; and the Port Antonio town centre, Portland. The events were arranged by the custodes. The beacons, designed by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and built by students from the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI), were lit simultaneously at 10:00 pm and remained lit for 24 hours.

In a statement on the beacon lighting yesterday, Simpson Miller said that Jamaica would always hold the British Monarchy in high esteem.

“I wish to publicly state that notwithstanding the expressed desire to complete the independence of Jamaica and to reinforce our identity as an independent people, Jamaica holds and will always hold the British Monarchy in high esteem, and has found within that institution many areas for emulation as we pursue a path for sustainable development for all our citizens,” Simpson Miller said.

“I also wish to reiterate that we will continue to value our membership in the Commonwealth, which provides an important platform for deepening and strengthening cooperation between Jamaica and the United Kingdom, and among the other Commonwealth members, both developed and developing,” she added.

Similar ceremonies were held across the globe on Monday, with Her Majesty lighting the National Beacon in London. It is planned to have as many as 2012 beacons lit this year to mark the anniversary.

Locally, on Sunday, a church service will be held at St Andrew Parish Church and a Diamond Jubilee Prayer, written at The Queen’s direction, will be used. Later this month, an exhibition will showcase the visits by Her Majesty to Jamaica, as well as a history of Jamaica-Britain relations and the recipients of awards presented by Her Majesty.

Later in the year, a supplement will be published providing a historical review of Her Majesty’s reign.Commemorative Diamond Jubilee Medals will also be issued later this year by the Governor General Sir Patrick Allen to members of the armed forces, emergency services and prison service personnel.

The Governor General and Lady Allen left the island last Thursday for the Jubilee celebrations in London, which began on Friday and end today.