Today would have been Queen Elizabeth’s 100th birthday. Sadly, she didn’t live to see it, as she passed away in September of 2022 at the age of 96.
To mark this occasion, the Queen’s son King Charles spoke out to honor his mother in a three-minute address to the world.
King Charles Honors Queen Elizabeth
During his speech, Charles claimed that his “darling Mama” would be deeply troubled by “the times we now live in.”
“Much about the times we now live in I suspect may have troubled her deeply,” said Charles, 77.
“But I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.”
“For, as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first ever public broadcast, aged just 14, we can each play our part ‘to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place,'” he continued. “It is a belief which I share, with all my heart.”
The Queen died peacefully at her Balmoral home on September 8, 2022. This came after a record breaking 70 years on the British throne. The King’s birthday message for her was filmed at the Balmoral Castle where she passed away.
“Her near-century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served,” Charles said.
“Millions will remember her for moments of national significance; many others for a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits,” he added. “Or for that marvelous twinkle of the eye when sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear in the final months of her life.”
Charles ended his address by saying, “God bless you, darling mama. You remain forever in our hearts and prayers.”
Check out the King’s full 100th birthday tribute to his mother in the video below.
The Queen’s Legacy
Though it’s been three and a half years since the Queen passed away, her legacy still looms large over the British monarchy.
“Despite her absence, Elizabeth II remains this key presence whenever we think about the monarchy,’’ Ed Owens, author of “After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?’’ told The Associated Press.
“She’s certainly the most significant figure in the history of the institution in the last 100 years,” he continued. “And, I think, therefore deserves probably the attention that’s going to be focused on her in connection with what would have been her 100th birthday.”
Later today, the King and other members of the royal family will visit the British Museum. There, they will view the final designs for a national memorial to Elizabeth in London’s St James’s Park. Indeed, this memorial will include statues of the Queen and her late husband Prince Philip.
“The nation will commemorate her extraordinary reign with a memorial that offers a place of reflection for generations to come,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer told NBC News.
Tonight, the King will be hosting a reception in Elizabeth’s honor at Buckingham Palace. His sister Princess Anne, 75, will also be officially opening the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in London’s Regent’s Park.
Queen Elizabeth was a true legend, and there will never be another one like her. On what would have been her 100th birthday, we should all take a moment to celebrate her.
Happy 100th birthday, Queen Elizabeth!