King Charles III used what would have been his mother's 100th birthday to both mourn her and gently comment on the present, saying Queen Elizabeth II would have been deeply troubled by aspects of today's world. In a three-minute video filmed at Balmoral, he called her his "darling mama" and said the royal family paused Tuesday "to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to us all and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory," the Telegraph reports. Elizabeth II died in 2022 at age 96.
- "Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply, but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon," the king said, per the Guardian. "For, as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first ever public broadcast, aged just 14, we can each play our part 'to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.' It is a belief which I share, with all my heart."
Buckingham Palace declined to spell out what he was referring to, though the remark about troubling times is likely to be read against current global conflicts. Charles cast the centenary as a moment to reflect and to emulate the late queen's sense of duty, urging people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate her "legacy of hope" and "strive together towards a 'better, happier tomorrow'—one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity, and security." He added: "In this, I renew my own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all. God bless you, darling mama; you remain forever in our hearts and prayers."
Charles and Queen Camilla also marked the day by touring a major exhibition of Elizabeth II's clothing at Buckingham Palace, ahead of wider family commemorations, the official opening of a new memorial garden in Regent's Park, and a reception for charities and centenarians who share her birth date. The royal couple's four-day visit to the US will begin next Monday.
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