Like many others across Great Britain, the Commonwealth, and the world, I was glued to my television after the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was announced on Thursday 8th September 2022. An earlier statement made by Buckingham Palace said that “Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral”.

Just hours later it was confirmed that Her Majesty had died aged 96 and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, had become King Charles III. A statement by Charles III on the death of his mother read as follows:

The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by the knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.

When it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died, I was in tears. I didn’t expect to feel it so strongly, but I really did, and I’ve since watched Charles III’s first televised address, the Accession Council and Proclamation, and the Queen’s coffin leaving Balmoral. All of these made me cry, just in thoughts of how much the Queen has done for the country and the commonwealth, and the dedicated service of both her and the new King.

It has also been lovely to see the new Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine, formerly known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, doing a walkabout in Windsor alongside Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Perhaps the reconciliation of William and Harry will be something good to come from this, although of course we don’t know exactly what happened between them and cannot presume anything.

The legacy of Elizabeth I is one of duty, dedication, and love. She loved her country, and was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother from all accounts. Prince William has said in his statement about his grandmother’s death that:

I thank her for the kindness she showed my family and me. And I thank her on behalf of my generation for providing an example of service and dignity in public life that was from a different age, but always relevant to us all. My grandmother famously said that grief was the price we pay for love. All of the sadness we will feel in the coming weeks will be testament to the love we felt for our extraordinary Queen. I will honour her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.

If you want to leave a condolence or a memory of the Queen for the Royal Family you can do so here and click ‘Book of Condolence’ on the right-hand side:

https://www.royal.uk/

The value of the monarchy is undiminished even after so many years. I think this is demonstrated by the huge outpouring of grief and memories that have come out since Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday. People have been remembering her kindness, love, duty, and devotion across her 70-year reign. The death of the Queen has brought people together in a way only seen over these state occasions like the Platinum Jubilee back in June 2022, or the wedding of William and Catherine in April 2011.

The value of this can’t be underestimated, even for those who don’t believe we should still have a monarchy. There are no other events that bring people across the UK and Commonwealth together quite as much.

Of course, there are always those who will be against the monarchy and cannot see its value, but I don’t see that. I see far more value in having the monarchy than in it not being there. Without it, there wouldn’t be the constancy of a figurehead of the country even when the prime minister keeps changing. Queen Elizabeth I was a constant through her fifteen prime ministers, from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss. Elizabeth II’s funeral will be the first state funeral since that of Winston Churchill in 1965.

I for one believe in the importance of coming together as a country to mourn our Queen who has devoted her life to her country, although there have been ups and downs, the monarchy has weathered the storms, and come out stronger for it. I look forward to seeing where Charles III, followed by Prince William and then his son, Prince George, will take the monarchy, adapting to the modern world while keeping the traditions that date back hundreds of years.

Statements taken from Instagram @theroyalfamily and @princeandprincessofwales

Image of HM Queen Elizabeth II from https://www.royal.uk/announcement-death-queen