00:00Today, as we mark what would have been my beloved mother's 100th birthday,
00:06my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to
00:13us all
00:14and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory.
00:20Queen Elizabeth's promise with destiny kept, shaped the world around her
00:25and touched the lives of countless people across our nation, the Commonwealth and beyond.
00:34Her near century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade,
00:42through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served.
00:52Millions will remember her for moments of national significance,
00:58many others for a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits,
01:08or for that marvellous twinkle of the eye when sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear
01:16in the final months of her life.
01:20Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply,
01:26but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail
01:32and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon.
01:37For, as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first-ever public broadcast, aged just fourteen,
01:47we can each play our part to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.
01:54It is a belief which I share with all my heart.
02:00So, young or old, and whatever our differences, let us therefore seek to follow this example
02:08as we make today not the marking of a milestone felt by absence,
02:14but the celebration of a life well-lived and a legacy of hope
02:20as we strive together towards a better, happier tomorrow,
02:27one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity, and security.
02:35In this, I renew my own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all.
02:43God bless you, darling Mama.
02:46You remain forever in our hearts and prayers.
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