Queen Elizabeth II

I know that we will all, in our own ways, mourn the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth. She has been a constant in all of our lives and has been a figure of certainty and comfort for so many. Queen Elizabeth’s reign spanned exponential change and modernisation in British public life: from presiding over the dissolution of the British Empire, the formation of the Commonwealth and the technological revolution that threatened to make our monarchy an irrelevance. Through all this Queen Elizabeth stayed unflappable and dependable, qualities that especially in the last decade I have grown to admire.

Queen Elizabeth’s reign should be an inspiration to us all and through this period of mourning I will reflect on the figures of constancy in my life that have now sadly passed. For many of our young people Queen Elizabeth’s death will have emotional resonance, and there will be conversations in families about her importance that will teach young people much about British life and our proud History. King Charles’s ascension will retain continuity but it will be a hard act to follow. In a world of uncertainty and discombobulation there is much to be said for continuity and dignity.