In Memory of Queen Elizabeth II
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Hawkins & Brimble wish to join the nation in expressing our grief at the news, and would like to add our own celebration of her life and reign.
The longest-reigning Queen in the history of Britain, Queen Elizabeth II had celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier in the summer, marking 70 years on the throne. The fantastic achievement punctuated the tireless devotion which the Queen showed for her role as the head of the country and the commonwealth.
After her father, King George VI, passed away in 1952, Queen Elizabeth, then 25 years old, ascended the throne to become monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other independent countries. She is now the longest reigning monarch in British history. Her father became king after his brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne and, following his passing, on June 2, 1953, she celebrated her coronation. She overtook her great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, as the monarch with the longest reign in 2015, becoming the longest-serving British monarch ever.
Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abby on the 20th November 1947. Philip, a commander in the British Army and former Prince of both Greece and Denmark became her lifelong companion, and a huge source of strength to her throughout her reign. Together they had four children - Charles, Prince of Wales, Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. With the Queens death, Charles takes the throne, becoming King Charles III.
While Queen Elizabeth was respected around the world as a diplomat and Head of State, she was also known for her sharp wit, and desire to get involved. During her reign, Queen Elizabeth II was known for adding a touch of humour at just the right moments, which she cheekily exercised as she presided over more than 21,000 engagements and travelled to more than 100 countries. In spite of the fact that the Queen had to skip out on activities commemorating her Platinum Jubilee this year owing to her deteriorating health, she still managed to surprise everyone by making a cameo appearance in a video alongside the one and only Paddington Bear, in a heart-warming exchange. And who could forget when, a decade ago, the Queen acted opposite Daniel Craig as James Bond in an unexpected spoof that was performed during the London 2012 Olympics. It is uproarious to see the head of the Commonwealth trade lines with 007 as the secret agent takes the queen from Buckingham Palace to the London Olympic Stadium in Stratford where they parachuted in. While the stunt was carried out by a body double, the humour of the Queen in the whole sketch was quite evident.
The Monarchy is entering a new phase, and while we are sure that King Charles will step up to the mark, the Queen will be deeply missed by all.
Queen Elizabeth will now lie in State for ten days before receiving a state funeral on the 19th September. On that day we hope that you will raise a glass with us, and celebrate what has been an extraordinary monarchy.