Thought For The Day: Monday 12th September 2022

We continue to pay our deepest respects to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As tributes continue to flow, led wonderfully by King Charles III, a common theme is the very thoughtful, kind and personable nature of Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth II was someone who put other people at their ease, who showed empathy with others. As such, Queen Elizabeth II was able to meet people where they were and connect. This was evidenced in her address to the nation at the beginning of the global pandemic, when the challenge was most severe, or the numerous personal and thoughtful responses that have been shared of those who wrote to, or met, Queen Elizabeth II in the course of her reign. This continued throughout her life until the moment of her passing.

Queen Elizabeth II was truly global in her reach, impact, engagement and diplomacy. She represented the importance of truly respectful words and actions, of literacy, oracy and morality, shown by the many tributes to her now from around the world. Queen Elizabeth’s concern for other people and the environment was founded on a profound humanity and the deepest knowledge, respect, curiosity, reading and study of the world and people. Even in the last two weeks, Queen Elizabeth II was thinking of those suffering devastating floods in Pakistan with a very heartfelt and concerned message. In 2010, Queen Elizabeth II spoke at the United Nations in New York, signposting, amongst other vital matters, climate change. She made an inspirational contribution to COP 26 in 2021.

On that 2010 visit to New York, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site of the World Trade Centre, now a moving and wonderful memorial and museum, to lay a wreath of remembrance. Queen Elizabeth II’s empathy and solidarity with those suffering was most certainly demonstrated after the terrorist attacks on the United States of America of September 11th 2001. These evil attacks beyond words killed nearly three thousand people at the time and many have suffered greatly since. The victims and survivors of these attacks, and the first responders, were remembered yesterday, as they are every day. This time last year, Queen Elizabeth II wrote a very moving message on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary. At the time, in 2001, Queen Elizabeth II ordered the Coldstream guards at Buckingham Palace to play the national anthem of the United States of America, breaking six hundred years of tradition. At the memorial service at Saint Paul’s Cathedral then, a tearful Queen Elizabeth II even, uniquely, sung along to the American national anthem. Her moving message at the time, in 2001, “Grief is the price we pay for love”, has often been quoted, including yesterday.

Seemingly small acts of kindness and thoughtfulness make a massive difference. Thank you for all you did last week. Keep spreading the standards and the love today and always.