Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to her father King George VI in more ways than one when she made her speech on the day the U.K. marked the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Millions of Brits had planned elaborate street parties to mark Victory in Europe Day but with COVID-19 restrictions in place the day was a low-key affair.
For her televised address to the nation the Queen paid tribute to her father George VI by wearing a special pair of beautiful brooches which honored his memory.
Royal experts said the Art Deco-style pieces crafted by Boucheron were given to her by her father on her 18th birthday.
The aquamarine clip brooches were worn with a simple blue outfit and another favorite from her collection – her three strand pearl necklace.
While sitting at a desk alongside a framed photo of her father, the Queen said she was addressing the nation at the same hour her father had done 75 years before her.
“His message then was a salute to the men and women at home and abroad who had sacrificed so much in pursuit of what he rightly called a ‘great deliverance'”, she said.
The Queen’s Instagram account also paid tribute to her late father by sharing an audio clip of the King’s VE Day radio broadcast.
“There is great comfort in the thought that the years of darkness and danger in which the children of our country have grown up are over and, please God, for ever,” he said on May 8th 1945.
When World War II broke out the Queen was 13 years old and her sister Margaret was 8.
By the time she was 16, Princess Elizabeth was inspecting the troops and launching ships while living in a secret location, the Daily Mail reports.
When Princess Elizabeth turned 18 in 1944, she insisted upon joining the Army, where she trained as a truck driver and mechanic.
She was the first female member of the royal family to join the Armed Services as a full-time active member and the experience helped shape the princess into the longest reigning and most-loved monarch Britain has ever known.
Later, the Queen, 94, added, “As I now reflect on my father’s words and the joyous celebrations, which some of us experienced first-hand, I am thankful for the strength and courage that the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and all our allies displayed.”
Such an incredible woman who at 94 years old is still helping to bring the country together in times of crisis. Britain is lucky to have her.
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