We mark the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II after 70 extraordinary years on the throne. She was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, having celebrated her platinum jubilee only two short months ago.

Aged just 25, Queen Elizabeth succeeded her father, King George VI, in 1952, just seven years after the end of the Second World War and was crowned the following year. Her seventy-year reign has witnessed its fair share of recessions, wars, natural disasters and a pandemic, but also some truly ground-breaking events, achievements and discoveries, both here in the UK and further afield. Such highlights include England winning the World Cup, humans walking on the Moon, the world’s first heart transplant, the fall of the Berlin Wall, eradication of smallpox, a new millennium, invention of the World Wide Web and hosting the Olympic Games.

Our Queen’s conduct and dedication to duty have always been unparalleled and our gratitude to her is boundless. She will be much missed, not just on our shores but throughout the Commonwealth –whose countries she visited 250 times – and across the rest of the world.

We would like to extend our sincere condolences to King Charles III, the Queen Consort and the rest of the Royal Family.

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