A life of service and family
We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen who has died aged 96.
On her 21st birthday in April 1947, The Queen (then Princess Elizabeth) announced in a radio broadcast: “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service.”
Nobody could doubt that Her Majesty stuck to that pledge over seven decades of loyal service to her country and people. She was Britain’s longest-serving monarch.
Her extraordinary reign saw the advent of television, space travel, mobile phones and the internet, and throughout that time she was a beacon of stability, unity and steadfastness.
Family was at the heart of her ideals
At The Queen’s side for most of her reign was her husband, The Duke of Edinburgh. She described him as “my strength and stay”, and his death in April 2021 was a source of great sadness.
Family was at the heart of The Queen’s ideals. She and The Duke raised four children and welcomed eight grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren to the Royal Family.
Read more about The Queen and her family at royal.co.uk