During her 70 years as Sovereign of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II had many historical occasions in which she addressed the public.
She ascended to the throne in 1952 at the age of 26, and ruled until her death on Sept. 8. She was 96.
In the years between, she presided through wars, natural disasters, revolutions, the moon landing, the arrival of television, mobile phones and the internet, and many successions of world leaders. As Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted in a statement issued Sept. 8, he is the 12th Canadian prime minister to have served during her reign.
“Time and again, Her Majesty marked Canada’s modern history,” Trudeau said in the statement. “Over the course of 70 years and 23 Royal Tours, Queen Elizabeth II saw this country from coast to coast to coast and was there for our major, historical milestones.”
CTVNews.ca takes a look at some notable statements made by the Queen over the years.
During her 21st birthday on April 21, 1947, while still a princess, she said:
"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and to the service of the Imperial family, to which we all belong."
In a speech on the day of her coronation, June 2, 1953, she said:
“The ceremonies you have seen today are ancient, and some of their origins are veiled in the mists of the past. But their spirit and their meaning shine through the ages never, perhaps, more brightly than now. I have in sincerity pledged myself to your service, as so many of you are pledged to mine. Throughout all my life and with all my heart I shall strive to be worthy of your trust.”
During her Christmas broadcast on Dec. 25, 1963, the Queen said:
“Humanity can only progress if we are all truly ambitious for what is good and honourable. We know the reward is peace on Earth, goodwill toward men, but we cannot win it without determination and concerted effort.”
During her Christmas broadcast on Dec. 25, 1989, the Queen said:
“You've all seen pictures of the Earth taken from space. Unlike all the other planets in the solar system, Earth shimmers green and blue in the sunlight and looks a very pleasant place to live. These pictures should remind us that the future of all life on Earth depends on how we behave towards one another, and how we treat the plants and the animals that share our world with us.”
On Nov. 24, 1992, the Queen gave a speech to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession. In the speech, she referred to recent controversies within the Royal Family as part of an “annus horribilis,” which is a Latin phrase meaning “horrible year.”
That year, three of her children’s marriages ended, including that of the Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales. In addition, a major fire broke out at Windsor Castle. There were several notable quotes to come from this speech, including:
“1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure.”
“Criticism is good for people and institutions that are part of public life. No institution — city, Monarchy, whatever — should expect to be free from the scrutiny of those who give it their loyalty and support, not to mention those who don’t.”
“We are all part of the same fabric of our national society and that scrutiny, by one part of another, can be just as effective if it is made with a touch of gentleness, good humour and understanding.”
On Sept. 5, 1997, several days after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Queen delivered an address to the nation in which she said:
“She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness. I admired and respected her -- for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys.”
During her Christmas broadcast on Dec. 25, 1998, the Queen said:
“As a daughter, a mother and a grandmother, I often find myself seeking advice, or being asked for it, in all three capacities. No age group has a monopoly of wisdom, and indeed I think the young can sometimes be wiser than us. But the older I get, the more conscious I become of the difficulties young people have to face as they learn to live in the modern world.”
In the days following the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, she said:
“Grief is the price we pay for love.”
During her Christmas broadcast on Dec. 25, 2008, the Queen said:
“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat. Instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
In a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on July 6, 2010, she said:
"It is my hope that when judged by future generations ... our sincerity, our willingness to take the lead and our determination to do the right thing will stand the test of time."
During her Christmas broadcast on Dec. 23, 2019, she said:
“As a child, I never imagined that one day a man would walk on the moon. Yet this year we marked the fiftieth anniversary of the famous Apollo 11 mission. As those historic pictures were beamed back to Earth, millions of us sat transfixed to our television screens, as we watched Neil Armstrong taking a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind and, indeed, for womankind. It’s a reminder for us all that giant leaps often start with small steps.”
In her broadcast to the U.K. and the Commonwealth on April 5, 2020, during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said:
“We should take comfort that while we may still have more to endure... better days will return. We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again.”
The Queen gave one of her final public addresses, her annual Christmas broadcast, on Dec. 25, 2021. In it, she reflected on her late husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9, 2021, saying:
“In the months since the death of my beloved Philip, I have drawn great comfort from the warmth and affection of the many tributes to his life and work – from around the country, the Commonwealth and the world. His sense of service, intellectual curiosity and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation – were all irrepressible. That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”
