As we mourn and honour Her Majesty the Queen’s immense loss, we also give a heartfelt thanks for all that she was and gave.
It is hard to believe that it was just three months ago that we were celebrating this incredible legacy during the landmark Platinum Jubilee.
I loved seeing the streets strewn with bunting, the parties that brought neighbours together and the general sense of pride, respect and love there was for our remarkable monarch.
I saw, first hand, just how deeply those feelings ran when I had the privilege of helping St Paulinus Catholic Primary School, in Guisborough, mark the Jubilee with the planting of a 'Snow Queen' tree.
It is humbling now to think of how this little tree will grow in the years ahead and live on as an enduring reminder of the stunning example that Her Majesty set when she committed her life to the service of our nation. A small but poignant illustration of the stability and strength that defined the second Elizabethan age.
Through this, her dedication was unerring, her sense of duty unimpeachable, her love for her people undisputed.
Through good times and bad. Through the many changes that have made modern Britain what it is today over the span of her unequalled reign.
From her accession when post-war Britain was rebuilding to her assurance that we would “meet again” during the trials of the Covid pandemic, she was always a comforting, sustaining constant in our lives, while still moving with the times.
For that, for her towering influence and the affection in which she was held, not just in the United Kingdom, but right around the world, we are grateful beyond words.
The tributes to Her Majesty in the past days; spanning continents and communities of all areas, faiths, and persuasions, are testament to this universal appeal and the strength of feeling she inspired in all she touched.
At this difficult time, I recall her own words during the pandemic: “The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.”
Her Majesty perfectly represents that pride. She defines our past, our present, and will always have her mark in the future of our great country.
And we can be optimistic about that future. The second Elizabethan age has drawn to a close and we welcome Charles III to the throne with all the love that his late mother would have wished us to. Britain’s best days are ahead of us, and although today we mourn, tomorrow shines bright.
Thank you for everything, Ma’am.
God save the King.