People of a certain age are said to remember where they were on that day in November 1963 when they heard President Kennedy had been assassinated.

It is no less true that those in their late 50s and older recall another death equally well.

Fifty years ago on a cold and bleak February day, the news came through that King George VI had died.

I was at a church school in London at the time. The vicar's wife, a large energetic lady, flounced in and announced she had some important news for us.

She told us in measured tones what had happened and then, for the first time in our young lives, we all sang God Save The Queen.

It is that event which we are commemorating this year with the Queen's Golden Jubilee - and what an enormous amount has changed since then.

George VI had taken the monarchy from the difficult times following the Abdication of his brother through the dark days of the Second World War.

As a shy but decent man, he earned the respect of most subjects and ensured his young daughter inherited an enormous amount of goodwill when she started the second Elizabethan age.

One of the first statements ever made by the Queen concerned her devotion to duty which even her fiercest critics would have to admit has never wavered.

She has dealt with prime ministers all the way from Churchill to Tony Blair.

The Queen has carried on her duties in the same way, keeping several large households, never granting interviews and appearing a remote figure to many people.

The sense of continuity has been embodied with the Queen Mother.

There have been occasional changes and concessions to the modern age.

The monarch now pays taxes voluntarily whereas previously she was exempt. She has opened Buckingham Palace to the public during the summer.

During the unprecedented outpouring of public grief following the death of the Princess of Wales almost five years ago, she was obliged to express sympathy after staying resolutely silent at first.

Opinion polls show most people retain respect for the Queen if not much love, which may be why the Golden Jubilee celebrations look as if they will be so subdued.

It is the younger royals who have caused all the trouble, leading to thoughts that she and the Duke of Edinburgh may have been dysfunctional parents.

Three of the four have had marriage breakdowns. Charles is widely seen to be a rather unworldly man who talks to trees.

Anne is caricatured, often justly, as arrogant and unsmiling. Andrew appears to be an insensitive playboy and Edward a blundering twit.

The minor royals are viewed by most people as useless hangers-on.

It doesn't look as if there will be anything like the same number of street parties that there were for the Silver Jubilee back in 1977 because of the change in public opinion from affection to indifference.

But it is still an anniversary that should be marked by some celebrations. There is still time for the Queen to improve her standing but in a more active way.

A gesture such as opening the Buckingham Palace grounds as a park would help.

Otherwise the day when she dies will not be remembered and the monarchy might start to wither away.

After all those dutiful years, it would be the last thing she would want.