queen's final speech

She told viewers: "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.

"But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings.

"And as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas."

The Queen also acknowledged the impact of the COVID pandemic , which forced her to celebrate Christmas at Windsor rather than Sandringham.

Read more: The Queen by the people who knew her

She said: "While COVID again means we can't celebrate quite as we may have wished, we can still enjoy the many happy traditions."

The monarch looked ahead to the Platinum Jubilee marking her 70-year reign, calling it "an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness".

The Christmas speech – written, as always, by The Queen alone – proved to be her final televised speech.

She used her 2020 message to to praise the "indomitable spirit" of those who had risen "magnificently" to the challenges of the pandemic.

Her successor, King Charles III , is expected to carry on the royal festive tradition, which began with King George V in 1932.

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Inside Queen Elizabeth's Final Appearance Just Days Before Her Death

The monarch died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on Thursday, just two days after appointing Liz Truss as the U.K.'s new prime minister

Queen Elizabeth made her final appearance just two days before her death on Thursday.

The monarch, who died "peacefully" at age 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, formally appointed a new prime minister on Tuesday. The new premier Liz Truss traveled to Balmoral Castle in Scotland — where the Queen traditionally spends her summers — for the meeting. The meeting marked the first time that Queen Elizabeth appointed a new prime minister in Scotland.

The Queen — who had been experiencing episodic mobility issues before death — was photographed shaking hands with Truss while holding a walking cane and her go-to black handbag .

Outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson also traveled to Scotland for a formal farewell from the monarch on Tuesday.

"The Right Honourable Boris Johnson MP had an Audience of The Queen this morning and tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept," Buckingham Palace said in a release.

For more on Queen Elizabeth, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

A source previously explained that the decision was made for the audiences to take place at Balmoral to provide certainty for the new prime minister and Johnson's schedules. Amid the Queen's mobility issues, they wanted to avoid the issue of alternative arrangements at the last minute had the plan been for the monarch to travel to London or Windsor Castle.

Appointing the prime minister was one of the Queen's key duties, one she did not delegate to her son and heir Prince Charles . In recent months, Charles took on an increasing number of roles on her behalf in the months before her death.

Although she met her first prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill, when she stepped off the plane that brought her back from Kenya to Britain in 1952, all the others saw her at the palace prior to Truss, who is the 15th prime minister appointed by the Queen.

Following Tuesday's audiences, the palace announced the Queen would no longer preside over a scheduled Privy Council meeting on Wednesday so she could rest.

"After a full day yesterday, Her Majesty has this afternoon accepted doctors' advice to rest," the palace said in a statement. "This means that the Privy Council meeting that had been due to take place this evening will be rearranged.

While the Queen scaled back her commitments prior to her death, she made another public appearance to open the new 28-bed Thames Hospice building in Maidenhead in July.

Accompanied by her daughter Princess Anne, the Queen was all smiles as she met patient Pat White and chatted with staff and volunteers. She moved around with the aide of a cane, which she has been using regularly since October due to her ongoing mobility issues .

It was the Queen's fourth visit to the charity. She first opened Thames Hospice in Nov. 1987. In the last few years, it has been modernized and rebuilt on a new site following a huge $26 million fundraising effort.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton , Meghan Markle and more!

The hospice charity has been providing end-of-life and palliative care for people in the area for around 30 years for free, and the charity relies on donations for half of its $15.5 million annual running costs.

Thames Hospice Chair of Trustees Jonathan Jones said afterwards, "Today's momentous visit builds upon a long-held association between the royal family and Thames Hospice. It is a huge privilege to welcome Her Majesty to officially open our facility and show how the charity continues to flourish 35 years on from the Queen's very first visit."

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Queen’s Speech 2022

Her Majesty’s most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament.

My Lords and members of the House of Commons.

My Government’s priority is to grow and strengthen the economy and help ease the cost of living for families. My Government will level up opportunity in all parts of the country and support more people into work. My Ministers will continue to support the police to make the streets safer, and fund the National Health Service to reduce the COVID backlogs. In these challenging times, my Government will play a leading role in defending democracy and freedom across the world, including continuing to support the people of Ukraine.

My Government will drive economic growth to improve living standards and fund sustainable investment in public services. This will be underpinned by a responsible approach to the public finances, reducing debt while reforming and cutting taxes. My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to its target.

A Bill will be brought forward to drive local growth, empowering local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensuring everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success. The planning system will be reformed to give residents more involvement in local development [Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill].

My Government will improve transport across the United Kingdom, delivering safer, cleaner services and enabling more innovations. Legislation will be introduced to modernise rail services and improve reliability for passengers [Transport Bill].

My Ministers will bring forward an Energy Bill to deliver the transition to cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy. This will build on the success of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow last year [Energy Security Bill]. Draft legislation to promote competition, strengthen consumer rights and protect households and businesses will be published. Measures will also be published to create new competition rules for digital markets and the largest digital firms [Draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill].

My Government will establish the UK Infrastructure Bank in legislation, with objectives to support economic growth and the delivery of net zero [UK Infrastructure Bank Bill].

Reforms to education will help every child fulfil their potential wherever they live, raising standards and improving the quality of schools and higher education [Schools Bill, Higher Education Bill]. My Ministers will publish draft legislation to reform the Mental Health Act [Draft Mental Health Act Reform Bill].

My Government will continue to seize the opportunities of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, to support economic growth. Regulations on businesses will be repealed and reformed. A bill will enable law inherited from the European Union to be more easily amended [Brexit Freedoms Bill]. Public sector procurement will be simplified to provide new opportunities for small businesses [Procurement Bill].

New legislation will strengthen the United Kingdom’s financial services industry, ensuring that it continues to act in the interest of all people and communities [Financial Services and Markets Bill]. The United Kingdom’s data protection regime will be reformed [Data Reform Bill].

My Government will continue to champion international trade, delivering jobs across the country and growing the economy. Legislation will be introduced to enable the implementation of the United Kingdom’s first new Free Trade Agreements since leaving the European Union [Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill].

My Ministers will encourage agricultural and scientific innovation at home. Legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production [Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill].

My Government will protect the integrity of the United Kingdom’s borders and ensure the safety of its people. My Ministers will take action to prevent dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and tackle the criminal gangs who profit from facilitating them. Legislation will be introduced to ensure the police have the powers to make the streets safer [Public Order Bill].

A bill will be brought forward to further strengthen powers to tackle illicit finance, reduce economic crime and help businesses grow [Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill]. Measures will be introduced to support the security services and help them protect the United Kingdom [National Security Bill].

My Government will lead the way in championing security around the world. It will continue to invest in our gallant Armed Forces. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to maintain a united NATO and address the most pressing global security challenges.

The continued success and integrity of the whole of the United Kingdom is of paramount importance to my Government, including the internal economic bonds between all of its parts. My Government will prioritise support for the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and its institutions, including through legislation to address the legacy of the past [Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill].

My Government will ensure the constitution is defended. My Ministers will restore the balance of power between the legislature and the courts by introducing a Bill of Rights [Bill of Rights]. Legislation will prevent public bodies engaging in boycotts that undermine community cohesion [Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Bill].

My Government will introduce legislation to improve the regulation of social housing to strengthen the rights of tenants and ensure better quality, safer homes [Social Housing Regulation Bill]. Legislation will also be introduced to ban conversion therapy [Conversion Therapy Bill]. Proposals will be published to establish an independent regulator of English football.

In this year of my Platinum Jubilee, I look forward to the celebrations taking place across the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth, and to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.

MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

MY LORDS AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

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Queen Elizabeth’s last Christmas speech was deeply personal

In her 2021 speech, the queen noted that life is filled with ‘final partings as well as first meetings,’ as she reflected on losing her husband of 73 years.

Queen Elizabeth defined 'era after era after era': Royal correspondent

Newsweek chief royal correspondent Jack Royston describes the impact of Queen Elizabeth II's legacy, claiming she had a 'real art' for connecting with the public that was 'exceptionally rare.'

Queen Elizabeth II made dozens of Christmas speeches during her 70-year-reign, but her last one – made in 2021 after the death of her husband Prince Philip – was likely one of her most personal. 

The late monarch made a speech nearly every year of her reign, which were broadcast nationally on Christmas Day. 

Throughout the years, the queen used the annual tradition to talk about holiday themes like love, charity and family and to give people hope during times of war and strife. In 2020, she spoke about the coronavirus, honoring health care workers and saying people had "risen magnificently to the challenges" caused by the pandemic. 

However, last Christmas, she related her own heartbreak after losing her husband of 73 years just months before in April. 

A LOOK BACK AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II AND PRINCE PHILIP'S DECADES-LONG LOVE STORY AFTER HER DEATH AT 96

Queen Elizabeth II records her annual Christmas broadcast in the White Drawing Room in Windsor Castle, Berkshire Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. (Victoria Jones/PA Images via Getty Images)

"Although it’s a time of great happiness and good cheer for many, Christmas can be hard for those who have lost loved ones," she began in her speech sitting next to a photo of Philip. "This year, especially, I understand why."

Because of coronavirus restrictions, the queen also sat alone at Philip's funeral after he died on April 9 at 99 years old. 

She continued, "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."

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh wave at the crowds from the balcony at Buckingham Palace after Elizabeth's coronation, June 2, 1953. (Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

"But life, of course, consists of final partings as well as first meetings; and as much as I and my family miss him, I know he would want us to enjoy Christmas," she said. 

QUEEN ELIZABETH II DIES AT 96: A LOOK AT HER LIFE AS BRITISH ROYALTY

She added later in her speech that even though there was "one familiar laugh missing" during the holiday season, their family would still be able to find the "joy in Christmas" through the "eyes of our young children."

She also mentioned her then-upcoming Platinum Jubilee, celebrating 70 years on the throne this year, which she said she hoped "will be an opportunity for people everywhere to enjoy a sense of togetherness; a chance to give thanks for the enormous changes of the last seventy years - social, scientific and cultural - and also to look ahead with confidence." 

In this image, made available Nov. 18, 2007, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip re-visit Broadlands to mark their Diamond Wedding Anniversary on Nov. 20. The royals spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire in November 1947, the former home of Prince Philip's uncle, Earl Mountbatten.  (Tim Graham/Getty Images)

The queen’s Christmas broadcast has been an "intrinsic part of Christmas Day festivities for many people across the Commonwealth," according to the palace.

"Each Broadcast carefully reflects current issues and concerns, and shares The Queen's reflections on what Christmas means to her and to many of her listeners," the palace says on its website. "Over the years, the Christmas Broadcast has acted as a chronicle of global, national and personal events which have affected The Queen and her audience."

The queen delivered the first-ever televised speech in 1957, telling the nation she hoped broadcasting it would make her "Christmas message more personal and direct."

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King Charles III is expected to carry on the Christmas tradition that George V started in 1932 this season. 

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‘We shall be worthy of our duty’: the Queen’s most memorable speeches

From wartime broadcasts to Christmas Day messages, here are excerpts from some of her best-known addresses

Princess Elizabeth’s wartime broadcast on BBC Children’s Hour, 13 October 1940

Thousands of you in this country have had to leave your homes and be separated from your fathers and mothers. My sister, Margaret Rose, and I feel so much for you as we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.

All of us children who are still at home think continually of our friends and relations who have gone overseas – who have travelled thousands of miles to find a wartime home and a kindly welcome in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States of America.

My sister and I feel we know quite a lot about these countries. Our father and mother have so often talked to us of their visits to different parts of the world. So it is not difficult for us to picture the sort of life you are all leading, and to think of all the new sights you must be seeing, and the adventures you must be having.

We know, every one of us, that in the end all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.

My sister is by my side and we are both going to say goodnight to you. Come on, Margaret. Goodnight, children.

The Queen’s first live radio Christmas broadcast, from Sandringham, December 1952

Each Christmas, at this time, my beloved father broadcast a message to his people in all parts of the world. Today I am doing this to you, who are now my people.

At Christmas our thoughts are always full of our homes and our families.

Many grave problems and difficulties confront us all, but with a new faith in the old and splendid beliefs given us by our forefathers, and the strength to venture beyond the safeties of the past, I know we shall be worthy of our duty.

Above all, we must keep alive that courageous spirit of adventure that is the finest quality of youth; and by youth I do not just mean those who are young in years; I mean too all those who are young in heart, no matter how old they may be. That spirit still flourishes in this old country and in all the younger countries of our Commonwealth.

At my coronation next June, I shall dedicate myself anew to your service. I shall do so in the presence of a great congregation, drawn from every part of the Commonwealth and empire, while millions outside Westminster Abbey will hear the promises and the prayers being offered up within its walls, and see much of the ancient ceremony in which kings and queens before me have taken part through century upon century.

Queen’s coronation day speech, 2 June 1953

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.

I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but the living strength and majesty of the Commonwealth and empire; of societies old and new; of lands and races different in history and origins but all, by God’s will, united in spirit and in aim.

Therefore, I am sure that this, my coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendour that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God’s grace and mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.

Christmas broadcast on the topic of children’s privacy, 1958

We would like our son and daughter to grow up as normally as possible so that they will be able to serve you and the Commonwealth faithfully and well when they are old enough to do so. We believe the public life is not a fair burden to place on growing children.

Christmas broadcast, 1972

In 1972, the Queen and Prince Philip celebrated 25 years of marriage. That year there was also terrible violence in Northern Ireland, and preparations for Britain to join the European Economic Community. The Queen refers to both these news stories in her speech.

One of the great Christian ideals is a happy and lasting marriage between man and wife, but no marriage can hope to succeed without a deliberate effort to be tolerant and understanding. This doesn’t come easily to individuals and it certainly doesn’t come naturally to communities or nations.

We know only too well that a selfish insistence upon our rights and our own point of view leads to disaster. We all ought to know by now that a civilised and peaceful existence is only possible when people make the effort to understand each other.

Looking at the world, one might be forgiven for believing that many people have never heard of this simple idea. Every day there are reports of violence, lawlessness, and the disregard for human life.

Most of this is excused on purely selfish grounds. I know there are millions of kindly people throughout the world who are saddened with me for all those who suffer from these outrages.

In the United Kingdom we have our own particular sorrows in Northern Ireland and I want to send a special message of sympathy to all those men, women and children who have suffered and endured so much.

But there is a light in this tragic situation. The people are steadfastly carrying on their ordinary business in their factories and places of work.

Voluntary workers, both in and out of uniform, have struggled to keep humanity and commonsense alive. The social services have done their job magnificently. The forces of law and order continue their thankless task with the utmost fortitude in the face of appalling provocation.

Britain is about to join her neighbours in the European Community and you may well ask how this will affect the Commonwealth.

The new links with Europe will not replace those with the Commonwealth. They cannot alter our historical and personal attachments with kinsmen and friends overseas. Old friends will not be lost; Britain will take her Commonwealth links into Europe with her.

Britain and these other European countries see in the community a new opportunity for the future. They believe that the things they have in common are more important than the things which divide them, and that if they work together not only they, but the whole world will benefit.

We are trying to create a wider family of nations and it is particularly at Christmas that this family should feel closest together.

Speech delivered as UK troops are deployed to the Persian Gulf, 24 February 1991

As a nation, we are rightly proud of our armed forces. That pride has been fully justified by their conduct in the Gulf war so far. As they, with our allies, face a fresh and yet sterner challenge, I hope that we can unite, and pray that their success will be as swift as it is certain and that it may be achieved with as small a cost in human life and suffering as possible. Then may the true reward of their courage be granted- a just and lasting peace.

‘Annus horribilis’: Queen’s speech at the Guildhall to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession, 24 November 1992

1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘annus horribilis’. I suspect that I am not alone in thinking it so. Indeed, I suspect that there are very few people or institutions unaffected by these last months of worldwide turmoil and uncertainty. This generosity and whole-hearted kindness of the Corporation of the City to Prince Philip and me would be welcome at any time, but at this particular moment, in the aftermath of Friday’s tragic fire at Windsor, it is especially so.

I sometimes wonder how future generations will judge the events of this tumultuous year.

There can be no doubt, of course, that 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.

Christmas speech, 1996

In difficult times, it is tempting for all of us, especially those who suffer, to look back and say ‘if only’. But to look back in that way is to look down a blind alley. Better to look forward and say ‘if only’.

Address to the nation on the death of Diana, 5 September 1997

We have all been trying in our different ways to cope. It is not easy to express a sense of loss, since the initial shock is often succeeded by a mixture of other feelings: disbelief, incomprehension, anger – and concern for those who remain.

We have all felt those emotions in these last few days. So what I say to you now, as your queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart.

First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. 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 …

No one who knew Diana will ever forget her. Millions of others who never met her, but felt they knew her, will remember her.

The Queen on her golden wedding anniversary, 20 November 1997

When Prince Philip and I were married on this day 50 years ago, Britain had just endured six years of war, emerging battered but victorious. Prince Philip had served in the Royal Navy in the far east, while I was grappling, in the ATS, with the complexities of the combustion engine and learning to drive an ambulance with care.

All too often, I fear, Prince Philip has had to listen to me speaking. Frequently we have discussed my intended speech beforehand and, as you will imagine, his views have been expressed in a forthright manner.

He is someone who doesn’t take easily to compliments but he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.

Christmas message, 1999

As I look to the future I have no doubt at all that the one certainty is change – and the pace of that change will only seem to increase …

There are many, for example, of my age or amongst the more vulnerable in society who worry that they will be left behind. The sheer rate of change seems to be sweeping away so much that is familiar and comforting.

But I do not think that we should be over-anxious. We can make sense of the future – if we understand the lessons of the past.

Centenary of the Entente Cordiale, state banquet in Paris, 5 April 2004

If I may be allowed tonight one small British understatement, our historical relationship has not always been smooth. For centuries we fought each other fiercely, often and everywhere – from Hastings to Waterloo, from the heights of Abraham to the mouth of the Nile.

But since 1815 our two nations have not been to war. On the contrary, we have stood together, resolute in defence of liberty and democracy, notably through the terrible global conflicts of the 20th century.

We are both reminded that neither of our two great nations, nor Europe, nor the wider western alliance, can afford the luxury of short-term division or discord, in the face of threats to our security and prosperity that now challenge us all.

Of course, we will never agree on everything. Life would be dull indeed, not least for the rest of the world, if we did not allow ourselves a little space to live up to our national caricatures – British pragmatism and French elan; French conceptualism and British humour; British rain and French sun; I think we should enjoy the complementarity of it all.

I believe our two peoples understand this sometimes more clearly than our governments. Thousands of British are settling, living and working in France, and thousands of French are crossing the Channel to do the same. Millions of British holidaymakers visit France each year.

Our histories have made us frequent rivals, but like our forebears a hundred years ago, we now need to recognise that we are natural 21st-century partners in Europe and the wider world.

Vive la difference, mais vive L’Entente Cordiale.

60th anniversary D-day commemoration in Arromanches, 6 June 2004

This audience knows of the historic significance of what took place here 60 years ago: the sheer size and scope of the operation – it included the largest massed airborne landing yet attempted anywhere and successfully made; the boldness and imagination of the concept; the months of painstaking planning; the endless training and waiting; and then the ferocity of the day itself and the campaign that followed.

None of this meticulous preparation would have achieved anything without the courage and fortitude, and the dogged determination, of the hundreds of thousands of servicemen who landed on the beaches on that day, and then fought their way inland in the face of determined opposition.

After so many frustrating delays, the invasion of Europe, for which everyone in the free world had been praying, had finally started, and everyone hoped that it would lead to a speedy end to the war. My father broadcast to the nation on that day and said: “Once more a supreme test has to be faced. This time the challenge is not to fight to survive, but to fight to win the final victory for the good cause”.

There is just one thing more I want to say. What for you is a haunting memory of danger and sacrifice one summer long ago, is for your country, and for generations of your countrymen to come, one of the proudest moments in our long national history.

I take it upon myself to express the immense debt of gratitude we owe to you all. I salute you, and thank you on behalf of our whole nation.

Opening of a memorial fountain to Diana, 6 July 2004

It is sometimes difficult to believe that it is now nearly seven years since we heard the news that Diana, Princess of Wales had been killed in a car crash in Paris.

By any standard Diana’s tragic death held the attention of the world. Central to this remains the extraordinary effect Diana had on those around her. Her drive to empathise with those in difficulty, hardship or distress, her willingness to embrace a new cause, her shrewd ability to size up all those she met, allowed her not only to touch people’s lives but to change them.

This is her wider legacy. But I cannot forget – and nor can those of us here today who knew her much more personally, as sister, wife, mother, or daughter-in-law – the Diana who made such an impact on our lives. Of course, there were difficult times, but memories mellow with the passing of the years. I remember especially the happiness she gave to my two grandsons.

The Queen’s 80th birthday speech at Mansion House, 15 June 2006

As one gets older, birthdays seem to come round quicker; they are therefore less obvious excuses for wider celebration than personal moments to count one’s blessings. As Groucho Marx once said: “Anyone can get old – all you have to do is live long enough.”

Address to the UN general assembly, 2010

I believe I was last here in 1957. Since then, I have travelled widely and met many leaders, ambassadors, and statesmen from around the world. I address you today as Queen of 16 United Nations member states and as head of the Commonwealth of 54 countries.

The achievements of the United Nations are remarkable. When I was first here, there were just three United Nations operations overseas. Now, over 120,000 men and women are deployed in 26 missions across the world. You have helped to reduce conflict; you have offered humanitarian assistance to millions of people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies; and you have been deeply committed to tackling the effects of poverty in many parts of the world.

But so much remains to be done. Former secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld once said that “constant attention by a good nurse may be just as important as a major operation by a surgeon”. Good nurses get better with practice; sadly the supply of patients never ceases.

In my lifetime, the United Nation[s] has – has moved from being a high-minded aspiration to being a real force for common good. That of itself has been a signal achievement. But we are not gathered here to reminisce. In tomorrow’s world, we must all work together as hard as ever if we are truly to be United Nations.

Speech during the Queen’s first visit ever to Ireland, at Dublin Castle, 18 May 2011

Together we have much to celebrate: the ties between our people, the shared values, and the economic, business and cultural links that make us so much more than neighbours, that make us firm friends and equal partners …

Of course, the relationship has not always been straightforward; nor has the record over the centuries been entirely benign.

It is a sad and regrettable reality that through history our islands have experienced more than their fair share of heartache, turbulence and loss.

These events have touched us all, many of us personally, and are a painful legacy. We can never forget those who have died or been injured or their families.

To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy.

With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.

Speech during President Barack Obama’s state visit, 24 May 2011

Mr President,

I am delighted to welcome you and Mrs Obama to London.

Your visit to this country inevitably reminds us of our shared history, our common language, and our strong intellectual and cultural links. It also reminds us that your country twice came to the rescue of the free and democratic world when it was facing military disaster. On each occasion, after the end of those destructive wars, the generosity of the United States made a massive contribution to our economic recovery. Today the United States remains our most important ally and our two nations contribute to the security and prosperity of our peoples, and of the world, through shared national interests.

But our relationship goes far beyond our military and diplomatic ties. Entertainment may not be so obviously an example of our close ties, but it forms part of the lives of a great many of our people. Over the years, we have enjoyed some of America’s most spectacular musical productions and any number of what we call films – and you might prefer to call movies. In return, British films and theatrical productions have achieved considerable success in your country. This exchange of people and projects has enlarged and invigorated our common language – although I think you will agree we do not always use it in quite the same way!

Queen’s address to the Houses of Parliament to mark her diamond jubilee, 20 March 2012

Parliament has survived as an unshakeable cornerstone of our constitution and our way of life. History links monarchs and parliament, a connecting thread from one period to the next. So, in an era when the regular, worthy rhythm of life is less eye-catching than doing something extraordinary, I am reassured that I am merely the second sovereign to celebrate a diamond jubilee.

Since my accession, I have been a regular visitor to the Palace of Westminster and, at the last count, have had the pleasurable duty of treating with 12 prime ministers.

The happy relationship I have enjoyed with parliament has extended well beyond the more than three and a half thousand bills I have signed into law.

We are reminded here of our past, of the continuity of our national story and the virtues of resilience, ingenuity and tolerance which created it. I have been privileged to witness some of that history and, with the support of my family, rededicate myself to the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come.

Queen’s speech at the Olympic heads of government reception, 27 July 2012

Over recent months, many in these islands have watched with growing excitement the journey of the Olympic torch around the United Kingdom. As the torch has passed through villages and towns it has drawn people together as families and communities. To me, this spirit of togetherness is a most important part of the Olympic ideal; and the British people can be proud of the part they have played in keeping the spirit alive. Many sports played in these Games have their historic roots in this country; and as a nation we have an abiding passion for sport, as well as a tradition of fair play and a good-natured sense of fun.

In all our national Olympics teams there is so much of which we can be proud: groups of young men and women dedicated to excellence and achievement across numerous sporting disciplines. And these teams are ably supported by thousands of organisers, volunteers, and supporters who will be following the action not just at the Olympic venues here in the United Kingdom but throughout the world.

For all these reasons, I wish you and your countries a successful, enjoyable and memorable Games.

‘We will meet again’: Queen’s pandemic speech, recorded at Windsor Castle, 5 April 2020

I am speaking to you at what I know is an increasingly challenging time. A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.

I want to thank everyone on the NHS frontline, as well as care workers and those carrying out essential roles, who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all.

I also want to thank those of you who are staying at home, thereby helping to protect the vulnerable and sparing many families the pain already felt by those who have lost loved ones. Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it.

I hope in the years to come everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge. And those who come after us will say the Britons of this generation were as strong as any.

That the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.

The moments when the United Kingdom has come together to applaud its care and essential workers will be remembered as an expression of our national spirit; and its symbol will be the rainbows drawn by children.

It reminds me of the very first broadcast I made, in 1940, helped by my sister. We, as children, spoke from here at Windsor to children who had been evacuated from their homes and sent away for their own safety. Today, once again, many will feel a painful sense of separation from their loved ones.

This time we join with all nations across the globe in a common endeavour, using the great advances of science and our instinctive compassion to heal. We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us.

We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again. But for now, I send my thanks and warmest good wishes to you all.

• Queen Elizabeth II

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REVEALED: The Queen’s ‘final speech’ in the event of a nuclear war

Documents that were previously classified includes a final speech which was prepared in 1983 for Her Majesty The Queen to read out in the event of nuclear war.

The ‘final speech’ starts off by saying: “When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas.”

This speech was prepared in 1983, one of the most dangerous and tense years of the cold war. It was part of a secret Whitehall file, codenamed ‘WINTEX-CIMEX 83’, and was declassified in 2013.

Throughout World War II, The Queen’s father – King George VI – was seen as a symbol of national resistance and along with the rest of the Royal Family. The speech was prepared to be similar in tone to King George’s famous speech at the outbreak of WW2 (popularised by the film The King’s Speech).

In the outbreak of nuclear war, it was planned for Her Majesty to be taken on board the Royal Yacht Britannia where she would be kept safe. This was primarily because The Queen is the only person who can appoint the Prime Minister and if the Prime Minister had been killed in the action, she would need to appoint a new Prime Minister immediately.

The full text of the The Queen’s final speech

When I spoke to you less than three months ago we were all enjoying the warmth and fellowship of a family Christmas.

Our thoughts were concentrated on the strong links that bind each generation to the ones that came before and those that will follow.

The horrors of war could not have seemed more remote as my family and I shared our Christmas joy with the growing family of the Commonwealth.

Now this madness of war is once more spreading through the world and our brave country must again prepare itself to survive against great odds.

I have never forgotten the sorrow and the pride I felt as my sister and I huddled around the nursery wireless set listening to my father’s inspiring words on that fateful day in 1939.

Not for a single moment did I imagine that this solemn and awful duty would one day fall to me.

We all know that the dangers facing us today are greater by far than at any time in our long history.

The enemy is not the soldier with his rifle nor even the airman prowling the skies above our cities and towns but the deadly power of abused technology.

But whatever terrors lie in wait for us all the qualities that have helped to keep our freedom intact twice already during this sad century will once more be our strength.

My husband and I share with families up and down the land the fear we feel for sons and daughters, husbands and brothers who have left our side to serve their country.

My beloved son Andrew is at this moment in action with his unit and we pray continually for his safety and for the safety of all servicemen and women at home and overseas.

It is this close bond of family life that must be our greatest defence against the unknown.

If families remain united and resolute, giving shelter to those living alone and unprotected, our country’s will to survive cannot be broken.

My message to you therefore is simple. Help those who cannot help themselves, give comfort to the lonely and the homeless and let your family become the focus of hope and life to those who need it.

As we strive together to fight off the new evil let us pray for our country and men of goodwill wherever they may be.

God Bless you all.

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The Seven Most Memorable Speeches Given By Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II's annual Christmas address may have been the most famous, but her 21st birthday one is even more powerful.

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Princess Elizabeth, later Queen Elizabeth II, of England on tour of South Africa in 1947

As a world leader for over 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II had to make a lot of speeches.

Some of her most powerful addresses came before she even officially took the throne, and continued through regular speeches on Christmas and in moments of crisis. Even just months before her death at age 96 , the queen was still speaking to the nation, reminiscing fondly about her husband, Prince Philip .

Here are some of her most memorable.

1947 Birthday Message

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Though she wouldn’t be queen until 1956, Princess Elizabeth delivered a message on her 21st birthday in South Africa in which she dedicated her life to serving the British Empire.

1997 Tribute to Princess Diana

After Princess Diana’s death, Queen Elizabeth honored her daughter-in-law’s unforgettable life with remarks at Buckingham Palace, even though the pair had a notoriously difficult relationship.

“In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness,” Queen Elizabeth said. “I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys.”

2020 COVID-19 Broadcast

In an April 2020 address livestreamed from Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth acknowledged the toll the COVID-19 pandemic had taken on the world and encouraged others to persevere.

She ended the broadcast with the now iconic line, “We will meet again.”

1940 BBC Children’s Hour Broadcast

At just 13 years old, Princess Elizabeth delivered her first-ever public speech on the radio. a morale-boosting message addressed to fellow young people affected by World War II.

“And when peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place,” she said.

1960 State Opening of Parliament

To kick off the parliamentary year, the queen highlights priorities for the upcoming months. Queen Elizabeth delivered a particularly rousing speech in 1960, which was also the first one filmed in color.

“My armed forces will continue to make their contribution to the safeguarding of world peace,” she said. “The friendship which links us to our great ally, the United States of America, is a powerful element of the defense of peace.”

1957 Christmas Broadcast

Queen Elizabeth delivered her first Christmas address to the UK in 1957, in what became a national tradition that has also served as a unifying event at the end of each year. She wasn’t the first to broadcast a Christmas speech, but she was the first to have her speeches televised, 25 years after her grandfather King George V’s appeared on the radio.

“Twenty-five years ago, my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages,” she said. “Today is another landmark, because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on Christmas Day. My own family often gather round to watch television, as they are at this moment, and that is how I imagine you now.

“I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct. It’s inevitable that I should seem a rather remote figure to many of you, a successor to the kings and queens of history, someone whose face may be familiar in newspapers and films but who never really touches your personal lives. But now, at least for a few minutes, I welcome you to the peace of my own home.”

2021 Christmas Broadcast

In her final Christmas speech, Queen Elizabeth honored her late husband, Prince Philip, with a heartfelt address.

“His sense of service, intellectual curiosity, and capacity to squeeze fun out of any situation were all irrepressible,” she said. “That mischievous, enquiring twinkle was as bright at the end as when I first set eyes on him.”

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‘The Crown’ ends with Charles and Camilla’s wedding and an emotional farewell to Queen Elizabeth II

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After six seasons and three casts, “ The Crown ” has come to a close. The ending has been in creator Peter Morgan’s mind since the beginning, although it shifted slightly after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Producer Suzanne Mackie remembers Morgan telling her 10 years ago that he wanted to end the series in 2005, the year Charles, Prince of Wales finally married Camilla Parker Bowles.

“There was something really special about it,” Mackie says of the wedding, which took place on April 9, 2005. “It felt like peace had been restored to the land after tumultuous times — the tragic death of Diana and lots of divorcing children and the fire at Windsor . It felt like a beautiful end chapter.”

The finale, “Sleep, Dearie, Sleep,” directed by Stephen Daldry , uses the proposal and the wedding as a backdrop for several conclusive scenes. The queen (Imelda Staunton) considers her position, questioning whether she should abdicate the throne for her son on the occasion of his marriage. She and Prince Philip (Jonathan Pryce) also begin to plan their funerals, which results in a contemplative final moment for the queen.

‘The Crown’ has come to an end. Here’s a guide to the series and its major moments

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“The final episode is not really about the Charles/Camilla wedding,” Morgan said, writing via email. “That was just an event or a pretext for us to play the main drama against. The real drama is an internal one for the queen as she wrestles with her conscience about whether to step down in favor of a resolved and happy Charles.”

While the ending itself is bittersweet, the series creatives liked the idea of concluding “The Crown” on a relatively positive note.

“Although it’s an extraordinary family and a world that most of us don’t know or understand, they are a family,” Mackie says of the British royals. “And that family was brought together by a happy, celebratory event and two people who loved each other getting married and making vows in front of the country.”

For Dominic West, who has played Charles for two seasons, it felt full circle.

“‘The Crown’ is about the three people who are wearing or are going to wear the crown, which is Elizabeth, Charles and William,” he says. “It had to round off Charles’ story, particularly after showing Diana’s tragedy in such detail. The wedding was a great way of letting us see the reality of it. But actually where it ends is, of course, is back with Elizabeth on her knees in that church praying, which is pretty much how it began.”

The proposal

There is no documentation of Charles’ proposal to Camilla. The scene was originally written to take place in a rose garden, but Olivia Williams, who plays Camilla, suggested setting it in the potting shed instead.

“I did some dodgy bit of research where during lockdown she and Charles had an informal competition as to who could grow the best vegetables,” Williams says. “I did actually push for mucking out the stables, but that has already been done in that episode by the queen.”

West, who calls the proposal scene “totally imagined,” credits Williams with the idea of Camilla listening to BBC Radio 4 show “ The Archers ” while smoking when Charles arrives.

“Olivia set the scene for that,” West says. “I think Peter rather liked the fact that Charles would kneel down in the dirt of the potting shed and ask her to marry him. There’s something intensely moving about their middle-aged love.”

The actor also recalls shooting “endless scenes of him running through gardens to try to find her.”

“We went to three different gardens,” West says, laughing. “But I noticed that ended up on the cutting room floor.”

The perception

On Feb. 10, 2005, the palace announced that Charles would marry Camilla at Windsor Castle. Although it was now several years after Diana’s death, the British people were divided.

“When they announced their engagement there was a sense that times were changing and, yes, he should be with the woman he loved,” says royal writer Kerry Parnell, who helms the newsletter the Royal List . “But the overriding issue that was in all the newspapers at the time was what would Camilla be called? There was a lot of debate about whether she would be queen one day.”

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Melanie Bromley, a former news correspondent for E!, recalls that the upset over Camilla and Diana created a “public soap opera.” But there was a sense that Charles deserved happiness.

“This was a love story that had endured 30 years,” Bromley says. “It didn’t matter whether there was going to be public opposition or people disagreed or the papers had a criticism over it because, actually, he loved her.”

The royal family has always married in religious ceremonies, but Charles and Camilla were both divorced, so it was agreed they would have a civil ceremony at the registry office followed by a service of prayer and dedication. At the time, it was a big deal for the future king to marry a divorced woman. (More recently, Prince Harry did it without issue, notably in a religious ceremony.)

“It’s funny how 20 years is a long time and it’s no time at all,” Williams says. “I think the Church of England were desperately trying to hang on to some sort of moral position on divorce.”

Williams and Morgan both wanted to showcase Camilla’s dignity despite all the drama.

“Peter wanted to portray her as someone that had been very steadfast in her quiet dedication to Charles and in her devotion,” Mackie says. “She kept her head down and Peter really wanted to capture that.”

“When she became queen, everyone turned around and went, ‘Oh, my God, what a journey she’s come on,’” Williams adds. “Speaking as an actor, others got more thrilling things to do. But I do think my character had the biggest arc of the show from Gloucester housewife to queen of England.”

The ceremony

The wedding scenes were shot in May, at the tail end of production on “The Crown.” The town of Rochester, England, stood in for Windsor, where Charles and Camilla had a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall . The York Minster was used as St. George’s Chapel for both the service of prayer and for the final reflective moments with Queen Elizabeth II.

“I knew we’d end on the wedding,” West says. “But I didn’t know we were going to be in the York Minster with 400 extras and an orchestra and a full choir and 30 ornamental cherry trees and me and Olivia Williams processing down the aisle and 400 people bowing to us.”

Williams adds that in real life, she was married above an Italian restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End of London, so it was a “thrill” to marry West in York Minster.

“It was an incredibly grand occasion and an amazing thing to shoot,” she says. “Every time Dominic and I moved anywhere, the orchestra would start playing Handel’s ‘Water Music.’”

As the episode depicts, a crowd gathered in Windsor on the day of the wedding. Bromley says that while it was “very pared down,” there were still around 20,000 people there.

“It was much more low key, but people were still very happy for him and happy he had found his real fairy tale romance,” Bromley says.

The princes really did arrive to the ceremony by bus and, despite the crowd, there was much less fanfare compared to other royal weddings, especially Charles’ first marriage.

“That came from the palace because they knew it wouldn’t be appropriate,” Parnell says. “Charles and Diana’s wedding was the fairy tale wedding to end all weddings. It was enormous — the scale of it, the size of her dress, everything. So they didn’t want to do anything to compete with that in any way.”

Mackie adds that while it didn’t feel as grand, it was “intimate and very real.” “It felt maybe closer to the rest of us,” she says.

The moment where Charles and Camilla emerge from the Guildhall onto the street of Windsor was the last scene ever filmed for “The Crown.” Williams says it was a “euphoric moment,” both for the actors and the crew, many of whom had worked on the series for 10 years.

“There was a jazz band playing and 400 extras waving their flags,” West adds. “As soon as they said ‘cut’ we all started dancing. It was an incredibly celebratory feeling and a wonderful way to end.”

The celebration

During the real-life reception, the queen gave a speech to celebrate Charles and Camilla. While there isn’t footage of the actual speech, observers have recounted its humor. In the episode, it’s suggested that the monarch was wrestling with whether to abdicate the throne and announce Charles as her successor at the wedding, but there’s no historical evidence to suggest that was true.

“It’s fair to say it’s more thematic,” Mackie says. “It’s a very private dilemma that we imagine any human being would face, so it was an imaginary internal conversation. I think Peter just wanted to have it as a theme to wrestle with. Because it is interesting when you have a very eager and healthy and brilliant young man that is Prince Charles eagerly waiting to become king.”

The speech Staunton gives, which begins with her announcing the results of the Grand National horse race, was written by Morgan.

“You do feel that’s the sort of speech she probably gave,” West says. “I thought that was a brilliantly written and brilliantly performed scene by Imelda. It was Peter at his most imaginative. If she were to have done that it wouldn’t have been in a public place. But that wouldn’t have been nearly as dramatic.”

During the speech, the queen offers Camilla her blessing and acceptance. That moment mirrors the attitude of the country after the wedding.

“It was a very significant step on the path of rehabilitation to Camilla,” Parnell says of the event. “They must have been immensely relieved. And Camilla is really loved now.”

The farewell

Queen Elizabeth II died in the middle of production on the final season, so it was inevitable that her death would impact the ending. Mackie says the team had provisions in place to pause shooting when the death was announced. But on the day of the queen’s funeral, production paused again.

Many of the cast members and crew gathered to watch the proceedings. Everyone was struck by the lone bagpiper in the gallery at Westminster Abbey, which Mackie calls the “most exquisite, simple, beautiful, poetic thing I’d ever heard and seen.”

“We knew we had to somehow harness that and bring it into the end of the episode,” Mackie says. “I don’t think it felt engineered so much as deeply felt.”

After Charles and Camilla get their happy ending, the queen lingers in St. George’s Chapel. She reflects on her duty and imagines her funeral before exiting in a dramatic haze of light. Also making an appearance are Olivia Colman and Claire Foy, who played younger versions of the queen in the series.

West, who says Morgan didn’t write the finale until after the queen’s death, was deeply moved by the bagpipe player in the episode, which takes its name from the song he performs.

“It’s an incredibly moving moment,” West says, wiping away tears as he speaks. “I’m not particularly into the queen, but I can’t stop crying. It was really, really beautiful. Peter is such a magpie for a great, telling piece of theater. And Daldry has this great instinct for tugging on our heart strings. That piper did it for me.”

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Queen Camilla delivers landmark speech on Isle of Man - declares Douglas as city

Posted: March 21, 2024 | Last updated: March 21, 2024

On March 20, Queen Camilla delivered a significant speech on the Isle of Man, representing King Charles III as he undergoes cancer treatment. During her visit to the Douglas Borough Council, she officially declared Douglas as an official city.

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The final scenes of 'The Crown' uncannily predicted the current state of Britain's royal family

• The final scenes of Netflix's "The Crown" appeared to predict the royals' current predicament. 
• One scene showed a conversation between the Queen and Prince Philip about the next generation of royals.
• The royal family suffered several setbacks after King Charles took the throne in September 2022.

The final moments of Netflix's "The Crown" seemingly predicted the state of the royal family in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth's death.

The last episode of the historical drama series is set in 2005, almost two decades before Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022 after a record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

It features a sendoff of sorts for the British monarch, who is played by Imelda Staunton, when she is joined by younger versions of herself and imagines her own funeral taking place.

Before that, though, the late Queen has a prescient conversation with her husband, Prince Phillip, who died just over a year before her .

Standing in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the place where they will both be buried one day, they discuss the fact that the next generation of royals are "not remotely ready to take over."

"The good thing is, it's not our problem," Philip assures the Queen. "This is where we will be, you and I. Right under this stone. We'll never hear the screams from inside there."

While the Queen chides Philip for his dark humor, she can't help but agree.

"The system makes no sense any more to those outside it, nor to those of us inside it."

"We're a dying breed, you and I. I'm sure everyone will carry on, pretending all is well," Philip continues before definitively adding: "But the party's over."

King Charles ascended the throne upon Queen Elizabeth's death on September 8, 2022. Though he initially received a positive response from the British public, things took a turn before the king's coronation.

The royal family is in chaos

In January 2023, Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, "Spare," was published, revealing previously unreleased details about his fallout with the royal family.

One of the most shocking allegations was that William physically attacked Harry during a 2019 confrontation about Meghan Markle, whom William had referred to as "abrasive," "rude," and "difficult," according to the book.

Harry also wrote that he believed Camilla had leaked stories about other family members, including Meghan, to the press.

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Buckingham Palace did not respond to any of the allegations in the memoir.

Then in May, the public's freedom of speech was brought into question after Graham Smith, leader of Republic, the UK's anti-monarchy group, was among a handful of people to be arrested on the day of King Charles' coronation.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police released a statement to Sky News expressing "regret" over the arrests and said an investigation was unable to prove that the protesters had intent to disrupt the event.

Speaking to BI in July, Smith said he hadn't received an official apology from the palace over the incident. Buckingham Palace declined to comment when contacted by BI.

The incident highlighted Smith's campaign to abolish the monarchy, which appears to have only strengthened amid recent events.

The king's role has understandably been scaled back, but now some believe there is a lack of leadership within the institution — and many have questioned its future. The most recent Sovereign Grant report showed that the royal family cost British taxpayers £86.3 million, or about $110.5 million, during the 2022-23 financial year.

That brings us forward to "Katespiracy," the most recent royal scandal to make headlines around the world.

Kensington Palace announced in January that Kate Middleton had received planned abdominal surgery and that she likely wouldn't return to royal duties until Easter.

But Kate's prolonged absence marked a shift in the palace's PR strategy. Charles was pictured in public shortly after his diagnosis, while Kate completely disappeared.

The situation led to mounting speculation and conspiracy theories about Kate's whereabouts, from rumors about her marriage to William to suggestions that something more sinister could be taking place behind the scenes.

Kate released an official photo with her children to mark Mother's Day on Sunday. The photo was likely intended to stop public speculation, but it did the opposite after it was recalled by major photo agencies that said it had been manipulated .

"Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing," Kate said in a statement posted to X .

She apologized "for any confusion" the photo caused. Kensington Palace did not respond to further requests for comment.

"As the Princess of Wales, she will always be held to a different standard, and I do not think that the public statement had the desired effect of downplaying the matter," Evan Nierman, Founder and CEO of crisis communications firm Red Banyan , previously told BI.

"All it did was raise more questions than it answered, which means future photos will be carefully examined for years to come," he added.

Nierman's prediction has already begun to take form.

Instagram has since added an "altered" tag to the photo on Kate and William's account. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's "The Media Show, " Phil Chetwynd, global news director of the photo agency AFP, said Kensington Palace was no longer considered a trusted source.

Watch: Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family, told as a motion comic

• Main content

Politics latest: London terror attack survivor hits out at Sunak's 'abysmal' response to helping victims

Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the Westminster Bridge terror attack, one of the survivors who suffered horrific injuries told Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge the government hadn't done enough to help victims.

Thursday 21 March 2024 23:03, UK

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• Sir Keir Starmer criticises Nike for changing the new England kit
• Tory mayoral candidate defects to Reform
• Record day of small boat Channel crossings
• Next Commons votes on Rwanda bill still weeks away
• Sam Coates: 'Big problem' as Tories lose key Leave voters
• Terror survivor attacks PM's 'abysmal' response to victims
• Women hit by state pension age change 'owed compensation'
• Sky News Daily: Will government 'do the right thing' for WASPIs?
• Live reporting by Charlotte Chelsom-Pill and (earlier)  Faith Ridler

Travis Frain, who seven years ago tomorrow was caught up in the Westminster Bridge terror attack, says the prime minister's response to a survivors' support initiative has been "abysmal".

He says he helped put together a survivors' charter to improve support for people impacted by terrorism. It examined practices in different countries and outlined a roadmap for implementing changes. 

Consulting on a survivors' charter was both a Labour and Conservative manifesto commitment in 2019, he adds.

But he says repeated letters to the government in recent years have been ignored. 

Asked how he would describe Rishi Sunak's response, he says: "Poor, if not abysmal."

'Lives irrevocably changed'

He says he has now met the home secretary this week, but that a review conducted by the Home Office into support for victims of terrorism concluded in February of last year and hasn't yet been published.

He says with each passing anniversary he reflects on the number of attacks which have followed, saying it's "worrying" that after each of those, we "have a potentially short memory as a society in terms of moving on".

"I recognise that for the vast majority of people, terrorism will be this abstract concept," he says. 

"But for the people in those five attacks, their lives are irrevocably changed and those are people who could have received better support. And yet actually often in many cases receive exactly the same support I did in 2017."

 That's it for our political coverage for the day.

Make sure to join us tomorrow to stay up to date with the latest developments in Westminster and further afield.

Find some of today's top stories below.

There will most likely be a general election at some point in 2024, but we don't know exactly when. 

Rishi Sunak has said it will not happen on 2 May - when local elections will take place across England. 

The prime minister's "working assumption" is that it will be in the second half of this year, but beyond that we know very little more about the precise timing.

So why is this the case?

Political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh explains:

Former chancellor George Osborne has said the prime minister should tell Tory MPs to "put up or shut up" and announce the general election date now. 

Mr Osborne said the public would like to see a "flash of steel" from Rishi Sunak in dealing with disquiet within the party.

"[Mr Sunak] is so worried about reigniting the Tory civil war. [But] he's allowed the civil war to be ignited without necessarily taking a strong position on it," he said on his Political Currency podcast.

"I think it'd be very much to his credit to say, 'look, there are some people in the party that don't like what I'm doing and don't like the way I'm leading it'. 

"[He should say] 'fine –  but I'll tell you what, the way I'm doing it is moral, it's economically competent, it's going to deliver the results for Britain. And if they don't like it, they can either put up or shut up.'  And I think people would like a flash of steel."

Mr Osborne also said if he were in Mr Sunak's shoes, he would put an end to speculation about when the election will be. 

"I would today say: 'I’ll tell you when the general election is going to be, it's going to be on this date.' That ends all the speculation about early elections. It means you don't go through the whole summer with [people asking] is it going to be October or November? 

"The marginal advantage he's going to get by having a bit of a surprise that it's late October or mid-November or early December is more than outweighed by the endless speculation.

"And the only reason people know he isn't calling an election right now is because he couldn't win it because he's behind in the polls."

The prime minister has ruled out an election on 2 May - the same date as many local elections around the country.

But he has not gone any further in revealing when he plans to face voters, only saying that his "working assumption" was for it to happen in the second half of this year. 

The latest Mr Sunak can hold a vote is January 2025.

Thousands of women should get payouts because of the way changes to the state pension affected them, according to a watchdog. 

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) said women who were born in the 1950s didn't get their pension when they expected because they didn't know about the reforms.  

On this episode, Niall Paterson explains why the pension reforms were pushed through quicker than initially planned by the then coalition government, and discusses the proposals for compensation and whether the payouts are likely to happen. 

He's joined by correspondent  Shamaan Freeman-Powell and one of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaigners, Michele Carlile.

The Conservatives are now just four points ahead of Reform UK in the latest voting intention poll by YouGov and The Times.

The poll, which involved 2,037 people and was taken on 19 and 20 March, found that support for the government now sits at 19%.

This is its lowest point since Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget in September 2022.

It is also just four points ahead of Nigel Farage and Richard Tice's Reform UK, which has hit a new high of 15%.

Meanwhile, fewer than half of 2019 Conservative voters said they would support the Tories in the general election, expected to come this year.

You can see more details of the poll below...

Meanwhile, the Sky News poll of polls - which combines results of opinion surveys carried out by all the main polling organisations - puts Reform UK at 11.5%.

The Conservatives are on 23.2% in the latest version of our poll.

By Alex Rossi , international correspondent

Foreign Secretary David Cameron has accused Israel of delaying UK aid to Gaza, saying some supplies have been stuck at the border for almost three weeks.

In a letter to the Commons foreign affairs select committee chair Alicia Kearns, Lord Cameron said it was "of enormous frustration", blaming "arbitrary denials" by the Israeli government as one of the "main blockers" of the aid.

He also contradicted claims by former Israeli spokesperson Eylon Levy - who has been suspended - that the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south of Gaza had been closed on Saturdays at the request of the UN.

Lord Cameron said Israel closes it "due to the Sabbath".

Israel rejected claims it is blocking aid from going into Gaza, saying the crossing is closed "by agreement with the UN".

It blamed the UN's failure to distribute the aid.

In response to the letter, COGAT, the Israeli body which coordinates humanitarian aid to Gaza, invited Kearns to "meet with COGAT and hear the full scale of Israel's humanitarian efforts towards the Gaza Strip."

It comes as the US is set to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as part of a hostage deal in a UN Security Council resolution on Friday.

In spite of Lord Cameron's criticism, Downing Street believed Israel was acting within international humanitarian law.

Read more on Sky News:

The government's Rwanda bill suffered a bruising night in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

You might remember that earlier this week, MPs voted to reject 10 amendments to the legislation proposed by the Lords.

But this was far from definitive - it instead kicked off a period of "parliamentary ping pong".

This sees the bill passed between the Commons and the Lords until one backs down, and it can move on to becoming law.

Last night, the Lords didn't go quite as far as 10 amendments - but did vote for seven of them again.

• Amendment one:  Seeks to ensure bill is fully compliant with rule of law - Rejected 271 to 228;
• Amendment two:  Removes claim that Rwanda is a safe country until treaty it signed with UK in December is fully implemented - Rejected 285 to 230;
• Amendment three:  Provides mechanism for parliament to be informed about treaty - Rejected 276 to 226;
• Amendment six:  Restores ability of courts and tribunals to consider if Rwanda is safe - Rejected 263 to 233;
• Amendment seven:  Courts can consider review claims regarding removals of children - Rejected 249 to 219;
• Amendment nine:  Seeks to protect victims of modern slavery from being deported - Rejected 251 to 214;
• Amendment 10:  Exempts armed forces personnel, their dependants and families from removal - Rejected 248 to 209.

These seven will now have to go back to the Commons for MPs to vote on once again after the Easter recess, on 15 April.

It means the government may well struggle to get flights in the air in the spring, as the prime minister has committed to.

By Tim Baker, political reporter

The next stage of the Rwanda bill's progress has been delayed until after the Easter recess as it remains stuck in parliamentary limbo.

Wednesday was the busiest day for migrant crossings in the Channel this year with 514 people making the dangerous journey in 10 boats. More than 4,000 people are thought to have crossed from France so far in 2024.

There are three sitting days left in the Commons before the Easter break begins on 26 March, with MPs returning on 15 April.

The government is maintaining its position that it wants to get flights to Rwanda off the ground during the spring.

According to the Met Office, spring lasts either from 1 March to 31 May, if based on weather, or from 20 March to 20 June if based on the Earth's position around the sun.

Rishi Sunak promised "emergency legislation" to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda after the government's previous attempts were blocked by the Supreme Court in November last year.

But the current Safety of Rwanda Bill is at the moment bouncing between the House of Commons and House of Lords in a process known as parliamentary ping pong.

Read more here:

The UK's commitment to hitting net zero by 2050 forms a key part of government policy-making.

But one potential green measure that definitely won't be adopted is banning outdoor hot tubs.

You may wonder why any minister would feel the need to address the issue anyway, but it was clearly front of mind for a Labour peer.

The party's former energy minister, Lord Truscott, asked the government "what consideration they have given to banning outdoor hot tubs to facilitate the transition to net zero?".

In reply, energy efficiency minister Lord Callanan said: "The government has no plans to ban outdoor hot tubs."

By Stephen Murphy , Ireland correspondent

Simon Harris has said being a dad is "the most important job I have, and ever will have".

In which case, the father-of-two is about to start the second most important job in his life.

In little more than 24 hours, the field of contenders to become Fine Gael leader - and then Taoiseach, or prime minister - has thinned completely.

The path to power is now clear for Mr Harris, a softly-spoken rising star equipped with a relentless political hunger.

The 37-year-old minister for further and higher education will snatch the title of Ireland's youngest-ever PM from his predecessor Leo Varadkar, who was 38 when he bagged the top job.

Harris doesn't turn 38 until 17 October. His has always been a story of achievement at a young age.

Hailing from Greystones in County Wicklow - a scenic seaside commuter town south of Dublin - Fine Gael's Mr Harris was elected to Wicklow County Council in 2009 with the highest percentage vote of any councillor.

Just two years later, he won election to the Dail, the Irish parliament's lower house, taking the third seat in the Wicklow constituency. He was 25, and the youngest member of the parliament.

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