Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a moving speech about the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Thursday.
Johnson gave the speech Friday in the House of Commons where he called the “greatest statesman and diplomat of all” and the “living embodiment” of Britain’s history and unity. He commemorated her strength in moving the country forward during difficult times, particularly during World War II, when the 14-year-old Elizabeth addressed the children of Britain in 1940 promising that “all will be well.”
“She helped to comfort and guide us as well as the nation because she had the patience and the sense of history to see that troubles can come and go and the disasters are seldom as bad as they seem,” he said. “And it was the indomitability, that humor, that work ethic and that sense of history which together made her Elizabeth the Great. And when I call her that I should add one Elizabeth the Great, I should have added, one more final quality of course which was her humility.”
He reflected on the nation and the world’s sense of grief over her passing due to the accomplishments and service she achieved during her reign. He said the queen showed the world “how to “give,” “love” and “serve” her country. He praised her service in the Second World War as the first woman to serve full-time in the armed forces.
“Think of what we asked of her in that moment. Not just to be the living embodiment in her DNA of the history and continuity and unity of this country, but to be the figurehead of our entire system,” he said. “The keystone in the vast arch of the British state, a role that only she could fulfill because in the brilliant and durable bargain of the constitutional monarchy, only she could be trusted to be above any party political or commercial interest and to incarnate impartially the very concept and essence of the nation.” (RELATED: Celebrities And Dignitaries Pay Tribute To The Queen)
Johnson credited Queen Elizabeth with creating the modern constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth. He said she would consider her “highest achievement” to be that her son will follow her “extraordinary standards of duty and service.”
“And the fact that we can say today with such confidence, God Save the King, is a tribute to him, but above all, to Elizabeth the Great who worked so hard for the good of her country not just now but for generations to come,” he continued. “That is why we mourn her so deeply and it is in the depths of grief that we understand why we loved her so much.”
The queen passed away at the age of 96 at her holiday home in Balmoral, Scotland, after reigning more than 70 years. She had been under medical supervision after an evaluation Thursday morning. Her oldest son and successor, Prince Charles, ascended the throne.