HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOUR MAJESTY! THE QUEEN CELEBRATES THIS WEEK
‘There is no better feeling in the world than making the Queen laugh’ Alan Titchmarsh
ALAN TITCHMARSH
ON OUR ‘24-CARAT HEAD OF STATE’
‘I have been lucky enough to meet Her Majesty on many occasions [above, at the opening of the Jubilee Galleries at London’s Westminster Abbey in 2018], and have always found her to be the most brilliant company. When her face lights up, you feel that all is right with the world. Over lunch the conversation is wide ranging, informative and good-humoured, and I have to say that there is no better feeling in the world than making the Queen laugh – not a polite chuckle, but one in which she throws back her head and laughs heartily.
I feel enormous respect for her tenacity, her common sense and her total dedication to her country. While other countries must cross their fingers as they lurch from one president to another, how lucky are we to have such a devoted, 24-carat head of state?’
LIAM PAYNE
PRAISES ‘A TRUE INSPIRATION TO US ALL’
‘Wishing Her Majesty the Queen a very happy birthday. A true inspiration to us all, now – during these difficult times – and always. To me she represents everything an exceptional leader should be, and I am honoured to have had the privilege to meet her on several occasions. Most recently it was for the Young Leaders Awards at Buckingham Palace – an example of the fantastic work she does every day for our country. The sense of duty the Queen so clearly has sets such a brilliant example to us all.’
