White china cup for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. West Burton, June 23rd 1887.

The rise of the middle class during the Victorian & Edwardian eras had a formative effect on its character; the historian Walter E. Houghton reflects that "once the middle class attained political as well as financial eminence, their social influence became decisive. The Victorian frame of mind is largely composed of their characteristic modes of thought and feeling". Middle class positive thoughts on Empire produced a jingoistic souvenir industry The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 June 1887 on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria began on Sunday, June 20, 1897, the 60th anniversary of her accession to the throne. Celebrations to honour the grand occasion — the first Diamond Jubilee of any British monarch — showcased the Queen's role as 'mother' of the British Empire and its Dominions.