Throughout her decades-long reign, Queen Elizabeth II imparted many words of wisdom and advice, often with grace and a sharp sense of humour.
Her Majesty, who died on Thursday 8 September 2022 at the age of 96, was the longest-serving British monarch ever. She broke the record set by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, who was on the throne for almost 64 years.
Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in 2022, marking 70 years of service since she first acceded to the throne on 6 February 1952.
As we reflect on Her Majesty’s life, we’ve rounded up the monarch’s best and most memorable quotes to celebrate her reign:
On her fashion sense
The Queen’s fashion sense always made headlines, and she was well known for her colourful wardrobe. She often stood out from the crowd in her bright-coloured suits and dresses, with matching hats, and was always with her staple black shoes and bags.
In his 2011 biography titled Our Queen, royal biographer Robert Hardman revealed the reason behind Her Majesty’s eye-catching sartorial choices.
He wrote that the Queen once said: “I can never wear beige, because nobody will know who I am.”
On taking breaks
In her 2013 Christmas broadcast, the Queen spoke about the need to rest and reflect from our busy day-to-day lives.
Addressing the nation, she said: “We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection. With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock.”
Her Majesty told an anecdote about someone she knew who “felt miserable” when he was forced to spend a year recovering from an operation, but that afterwards, he realised the rest had “helped him to understand the world more clearly”.
On family
When the royal family gave the public its first peek into what life for them was like in the 1969 documentary Royal Family, around 350 million people watched it.
It revealed that life as a royal wasn’t terribly different to the rest of us. They too watched television, went to the sweet shop, and decorated their Christmas tree.
So it might come as no surprise then that many families would identify with Queen Elizabeth’s description of her own years later.
In 1989, the Queen was quoted in the Daily Mail as saying: “Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters, and of family disagreements.”
On grief
In the aftermath of 9/11, the Queen issued a heartfelt message to be read by the former British ambassador to Washington, Sir Christopher Meyer, at a prayer service in St Thomas church, New York.
She spoke of the “resilience and determination” of the people of New York, who were grieving the tragic losses of nearly 3,000 lives when the attack on the World Trade Centre took place.
But her closing words were especially powerful in conveying the pain felt by the city: “Grief is the price we pay for love.”
On forging ahead
The Queen’s 2008 Christmas Broadcast acknowledged the people’s fears over the financial crisis that took place that year, as well as violence around the world that made that festive season “a more sombre occasion for many”.
She issued words of encouragement, and said: “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
On women
The 60s brought on a slew of changes for women across the Western world. The number of jobs available to young, single women surged and more girls went on to higher education institutions.
Movements like Women’s Lib began campaigning for equal pay and opportunity, giving feminism a new, loud voice within society.
The Queen recognised these achievements in her 1966 Christmas broadcast, when she said: “It is difficult to realise that it was less than 50 years ago that women in Britain were first given the vote, but Parliament was first asked to grant this 100 years ago,” she said.
“Yet, in spite of these disabilities, it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind.”
On hatred
In her first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957, the Queen said it was a “landmark” day for many Britons to be seeing her on their screens at home on Christmas Day.
Her speech was focused on the growth and strength of the Commonwealth, over which Her Majesty holds the highest position. One of her most memorable quotes from the day was: “It has always been easy to hate and destroy. To build and to cherish is much more difficult.”
