Writing in the preface to a new biography of his grandmother, the Duke of Cambridge said she had presided over a period of unprecedented² transformation³, in which the world had changed "almost beyond recognition".

 

Prince William, in his preface to Elizabeth II: The Steadfast⁴, by the former Home and Foreign Secretary Lord Hurd, writes: "Over the last ninety years, the world has changed more rapidly than at any time in history. When my grandmother The Queen was born in 1926, the wounds of the Great War were still healing, but few would imagine how soon they would be reopened. The confidence of the previous century had morphed into uncertainty⁶ and many worried – as they still do – about the challenge presented to our communities by rapid technological⁷ and social change."

 

Prince William adds: "After almost ninety years, we find ourselves in a world that has changed dramatically, almost beyond recognition to the world that The Queen was born into, but where the role of charity, family, duty and compassion⁸ perseveres⁹. I think I speak for my generation when I say that the example and continuity provided by The Queen is not only very rare among leaders but a great source of pride and reassurance¹⁰. Time and again, quietly and modestly, The Queen has shown us all that we can confidently embrace the future without compromising the things that are important.”"

 

"From a personal point of view, I am privileged to witness the private side of The Queen, as a grandmother and great-grandmother. The Queen’s kindness and sense of humour, her innate¹¹ sense of calm and perspective, and her love of family and home are all attributes I experience first-hand. All of us who will inherit the legacy¹² of my grandmother's reign⁵ and generation need to do all we can to celebrate and learn from her story. Speaking for myself, I am privileged to have The Queen as a model for a life of service to the public."

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