His 21st birthday: April 21, 1947
Princess Elizabeth was on tour in South Africa with her parents and younger sister Margaret when she turned 21. In a speech broadcast on Cape Town radio, she dedicated her life to Commonwealth service, in one of her first public addresses.
“It’s a happy day for me; but it’s also one that brings serious thoughts, thoughts of life looming with all its challenges and with all its opportunities,” said young Elizabeth.
Still a princess, she then made a profound royal promise: “I declare before you all that my whole life, long or short, will be devoted to your service and to the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. ”
The day of his coronation: June 2, 1953
The Queen ascended the throne on February 6, 1952, after the death of her father, King George VI, but her coronation took place in 1953, when she was 27. Her husband, Philip, had insisted the event be televised for the first time, and millions in the UK and abroad watched the BBC broadcast from Westminster Abbey in London.
Following the event which placed the Royal Family firmly in people’s living rooms, Elizabeth, on a broadcast to the Nation that evening, reflected on the day’s memorable events.
“Although my experience is so short and my task so new, I have in my parents and grandparents an example that I can follow with certainty and confidence,” she said. “As this day draws to a close, I know that my permanent memory will not only be the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection. I thank you all with all my heart.
‘Annus Horribilis’: November 24, 1992
In 1992, the Queen gave a speech in London to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession to the throne, in which she defined the year in Latin as an “annus horribilis” – or horrible year.
She remarked, “1992 is not a year I will look back on with unmitigated pleasure. In the words of one of my friendliest correspondents, he turned out to be an “Annus Horribilis”. I suspect I’m not the only one who thinks so.
His speech came days after a major fire at Windsor Castle, a royal residence, and after the marriages of three of his children, including Prince Charles and Diana, collapsed, generating tons of tabloid headlines who cast a critical light on British royal life.
Keeping a quintessentially British stiff upper lip, the monarch welcomed the scrutiny of her role. “Criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life,” she said. “No institution – city, monarchy, whatever – should expect to be immune from scrutiny by those who give it their loyalty and support, let alone those who do not.”
She added: “But we are all part of the same fabric of our national society, and this scrutiny, by one part of the other, can be just as effective if done with a gentle, good-humored touch. and understanding.”
She has not publicly repeated the Latin phrase, but some royal experts have speculated that she may have been tempted to do so in 2019, after her husband was involved in a public car accident, his grandsons Princes William and Harry have publicly feuded, and his second son Prince Andrew has become entangled in ties to disgraced American financier Jeffrey Epstein.
On the death of Princess Diana: September 5, 1997
After Princess Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris shook the world, the Queen addressed the nation live from Buckingham Palace.
“Since the terrible news last Sunday, we have seen, across Britain and around the world, an overwhelming expression of sadness at the death of Diana. We have all tried in different ways to cope,” a- she declared.
“I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her ability to smile and laugh, or to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her – for her energy and commitment to others, and above all for her devotion to her two boys,” the Queen said in an effort to comfort a stunned nation after being criticized by the media for its slowness to react publicly.
“No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but thought they knew her, will remember her. For my part, I believe there are lessons to take away from his life and the extraordinary and moving reaction to his death,” she said.
Diana died aged 36 and left behind two young princes, who have both since spoken about how her death affected the way they shape their royal roles and public lives.
On the death of Prince Philip: April 9, 2021
Buckingham Palace announced the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh on April 9, 2021.
“It is with profound sadness that Her Majesty The Queen announces the passing of her beloved husband,” the palace statement read. Philip died at Windsor Castle, and his funeral days later and during the coronavirus pandemic was televised around the world. The event provided emotional images of the elderly Queen, now a widow, sitting alone, in line with pandemic restrictions.
Elizabeth, whom Philip affectionately called Lilibet, had spoken of him in 1997 when the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, calling him his “strength and endurance”.
At the time, she recounted the events of 50 years of their marriage, including the end of the Cold War, the Beatles, humans traveling to the moon, the introduction of television, cell phones and the internet, and England’s victory at the FIFA World Cup. , as well as “the joys of having children and grandchildren” together.
“Too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speak. Frequently we have discussed my scheduled speech in advance and, as you can imagine, his opinions have been expressed in a candid manner. He is someone who does not take compliments easily, but he has simply been my strength and my strength for all these years, and I, and all his family, and this country and many others, owe him a greater debt than he will ever claim, or we will never know.
After her husband’s death, she did not address the nation directly, but a phrase resurfaced that the Queen had previously sent in a message to the United States following the September 11, 2001 attacks: “The grief is the price we pay for love,” she said.
Annual Christmas Speeches
The Queen has delivered thousands of speeches at royal engagements to heads of state and diplomats, at the inauguration of buildings and boats, and every year at Christmas. The latter became a social staple and a British holiday tradition, as her Christmas speeches were peppered with words of wisdom, faith and sometimes personal reflections from the nonagenarian.
“Before, the monarch led his soldiers into the battlefield and his leadership was close and personal at all times. Today things are very different,” she said on her first Christmas TV show in 1957. “I can’t lead you into battle, I don’t give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.
In 1974, her Christmas message alluded to violence in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, and she encouraged people around the world to seek the path of peace and reconciliation. “We may have different points of view, but it’s in times of stress and difficulty that we need to remember the most that we have much more in common than what divides us,” she said.
In 2002, although she celebrated 50 years on the throne during her Golden Jubilee, she also mourned the deaths of her mother and sister within weeks of each other. In her Christmas message that year, she reflected on the need for humanity in times of crisis.
“Our modern world demands so much of our time and attention that the need to remember our responsibilities to others is greater than ever,” she said.
And finally, perhaps for many, a joke the queen made to her aides, as reported by her royal biographer, may be her most charming comment. “I have to be seen to be believed,” she joked.
Platinum Jubilee Celebration: February 6, 2022
In February, the Queen reached a historic milestone: becoming the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of her reign. The UK celebrated a four-day holiday in June with pomp and ceremony, street parties, music concerts and military parades.
It was the last time the Queen stood publicly on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, alongside her family, greeting the millions of people who had flocked to see her.
“I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me,” she said, “and I hope the next few days will be an opportunity to reflect on all that has been accomplished over the over the past 70 years as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm.
Elizabeth previously celebrated her Silver Jubilee in 1977, her Golden Jubilee in 2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012.
She died at her home in Balmoral Castle, Scotland, aged 96.
