King Charles Honours Queen Elizabeth on 100th Birth Anniversary
LONDON: King Charles paid tribute to his late mother, Queen Elizabeth, on her 100th birthday on Tuesday, saying his “beloved mother” will “remain in our hearts and prayers forever”.
Britain’s longest-reigning and longest-living monarch, Elizabeth, was born on 21 April 1926 and spent 70 years on the throne before her death in September 2022, aged 96.
In a televised statement, Charles said his mother shaped the world around her and touched the lives of countless people.
‘WONDERFUL EYE SHINED’
“Today, as we celebrate my beloved mother’s 100th birthday, my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a monarch who meant so much to us all, and to re-celebrate the many blessings of her memory,” he said.
“Millions will remember him for his moments of national significance; many more will remember him for a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits or that magnificent wink as he shared a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear in the final months of his life.”
Elizabeth was not expected to become queen when she was born, but after her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, her father became King George VI when she was 10. Elizabeth later became queen in 1952, when she was just 25 years old.
To celebrate the centenary of his birth, the royal family is holding a series of events this week. On Monday, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, visited a new exhibition dedicated to his fashion.
On Tuesday, the king and other royals will visit the British Museum to see the latest designs for the national monument to Elizabeth in London’s St James’s Park, which features statues of the queen and her late husband Prince Philip.
“The nation will commemorate his extraordinary reign with a monument that offers a place of reflection for generations to come,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement. he said.
Charles’ sister, Princess Anne, at Queen Elizabeth II’s palace in Regent’s Park in London. The Elizabethan Garden will be officially opened, and the king will host a reception at Buckingham Palace in the evening.
“I think he may have been deeply troubled by many things about the times we live in now, but I take heart in his belief that good will always prevail and that a brighter dawn will never be far from the horizon,” Charles said. “God bless you, dear mother. You will remain in our hearts and prayers forever.”
