It was a heartfelt vow made when Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II had just turned 21 and was yet to take the throne. “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service,” she said during a speech to mark her milestone birthday.
She kept her pledge right up until the very end of what turned out to be a long and remarkable life. And as her heir – now King Charles III – said in his tender tribute to his “darling Mama”, “That was more than just a promise; it was a profound personal commitment that defined her whole life.
“She made sacrifices for duty. Her dedication and devotion as sovereign never wavered, through times of change and progress, through times of joy and celebration, and through times of sadness and loss.”
The 96-year-old Queen
