A life well lived
Queen Elizabeth II was the only British monarch that many of us had known in our lives. Her presence represented stability - an enduring constant in the face of political and economic change. No matter how time shaped the nation, her loyalty and tenacity remained.
Her Majesty’s passing, on 8 September 2022, after an extraordinary 70 years of service, brought a time for reflection, retrospection, and gestures of respect worldwide. The Queen was our longest-serving monarch, an icon and role model, and will be sorely missed.
In her Christmas broadcast of 1974 she stressed the importance of positivity during challenging times, and advised that we can all make a difference through the practice of goodwill, tolerance, compassion, and a lively concern for the interests of others. Those were the virtues she applied to her life and work. To not hear her Christmas message this year will be both strange and sad.
To quote Gyles Brandreth, whose words surely resonate with everyone she inspired: “In a world where there is so much that is dark and difficult, in the Queen there was somebody who was an exemplar of goodness. She brought out the best in all of us. A good, decent, discreet woman of integrity and consistency.”
Image source: www.royal.uk
"Queen Elizabeth's was a life well lived; a promise with destiny kept, and she is mourned most deeply in her passing. That promise of lifelong service I renew to you all today.”
His Majesty The King’s address to the Nation and the Commonwealth