Having, for reasons best known to themselves, celebrated the Italians with a parade held in their honour on 4 May 1897, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 22nd June 1897 was too good an opportunity for the British contingent on Crete to miss. Accordingly a further parade was organised, the highlight of which appears to have been a march-past by the two British battalions then on the island; the 1/Seaforths and the 1/Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
1/Seaforth Highlanders marching past International Admirals
1/Seaforth Highlanders firing salute on Queen Victoria’s Jubilee
(The natives seem somewhat underwhelmed; most seem more interested in the camera.)
Royal Welsh Fusiliers, lead by their Pioneers, march past International Admirals.
The records also indicate that the Royal Artillery battery on the island, No. 4 Mountain Battery, also took part in the parade. In addition. the ships from the various fleets also joined in the festivities; one assumes that their salute invoked a rather greater reaction than did that of the Seaforths.
Ships oif the International Fleet saluting Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. 22 June 1897
The Jubilee was further celebrated at a reception in Canea at which the Seaforth Highlanders ‘executed national dances,’ to the apparent enjoyment of the audience.*
Photographs used by kind permission of Alex Graeme and taken by his Grandfather.
*National Archive, Foreign Office file FO 195/1983, From Crete. Biliotti to Currie, 24 June 1897.
The British in Crete, 1896 to 1913. 
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