Well Done Your Majesty

Today happens to be the 95th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Somehow saying “Happy Birthday” to someone, who has, only days ago, lost her husband of 73 years, just doesn’t seem quite correct.

Still we remember this dedicated woman who has been a pillar of strength for the British people and all those of the Commonwealth countries and other countries around the world as well. She truly has kept the promise to serve that she made 74 years ago today on her 21st birthday : “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

And serve she has, until now with Prince Philip by her side. How strange it will seem for her to not have Philip there to wish her “Happy Birthday” today. He was the last remaining person in her life who could call her by her first name, she is “Your Majesty”, “Ma’am”, “Mama” “Granny” or “Gan Gan”, to everyone else, but there is no one left to call her Elizabeth or “Lilibet”, her childhood nickname.

Still the family has rallied round her and arranged to take turns visiting her all day today so as not to have her be alone on this birthday in particular. Among the first to visit was her daughter, Princess Anne and her daughter-in-law, Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, who is very close to the Queen and like a daughter herself. Princess Eugenie was scheduled to take a turn with her Granny today and bring her son, the Queen’s youngest great grandchild, August, along to visit his Gan Gan as well.

She is a remarkable woman who has done tremendous good for the people of her country being a strong and stabilizing figure through good times and hard ones too. When her official mourning period ends tomorrow we have no doubt she will do what he has always done, have a stiff upper lip and she’ll do what her beloved husband was famous for saying, “get on with it”.

So today we would like to say we wish you well Ma’am, and we pray for you to have many, many more years ahead to celebrate. Well done Your Majesty, well done!

From your Two (admiring) Chums,