Charles pays tribute to ‘darling Mama’ in heartfelt video message

The King has recorded a heartfelt tribute to his “darling Mama” to mark the centenary of her birth but said much of much of life today would likely have “troubled her deeply”.

Charles’ video message in tribute to the nation’s longest-reigning monarch describes how “she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served”.

He acknowledged the many challenges and issues nationally and across the globe that may have caused her reason for concern, and renewed his “own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all”.

The late Queen would have turned 100 on April 21 and the King said her existence should be celebrated as a “life well-lived” rather than marking an “absence” ahead of a series of royal events that will honour her during Tuesday.

“Much about the times we now live in, I suspect, may have troubled her deeply, but I take heart from her belief that goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon,” the King said in his message.

He added: “For, as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first ever public broadcast, aged just 14, we can each play our part ‘to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place’.

“It is a belief which I share, with all my heart.”

Charles does not specify which major issues he is referring to but since the Queen’s death her son Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been stripped of his titles over his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

World economies are facing uncertainty following the US and Israel’s war against Iran, which has triggered spikes in the oil price and affected global shipping.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered its fifth year and the rise of social media is having a negative effect on the young, critics believe.

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral home aged 96 on September 8 2022 after serving as sovereign for 70 years and was mourned by her family and friends, and remembered by the nation.

For the woman who was never meant to be sovereign, the Queen fulfilled her pledge to serve nation and Commonwealth, and came to earn the respect of many – from world leaders to the public.

She became one of the most iconic faces of the 20th century who epitomised much that was identified as British while at home her love of horse and dogs defined the Queen as much as her role as head of state.

In the video tribute, filmed in the library at Balmoral Castle in early April, the King adds: “Queen Elizabeth’s ‘promise with destiny kept’ shaped the world around her and touched the lives of countless people across our nation, the Commonwealth and beyond.

“Her near-century was one of remarkable change and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served.

“Millions will remember her for moments of national significance; many others for a fleeting personal encounter, a smile, a kind word that lifted spirits … or for that marvellous twinkle of the eye when sharing a marmalade sandwich with Paddington Bear in the final months of her life.”

The highlight of the events later will see the royal family gather for a Buckingham Palace reception with charities and organisations associated with the late Queen invited, including Cancer Research UK, the Jockey Club and the Army Benevolent Fund.

Guests will include some of the UK’s oldest citizens celebrating their 100th birthday on April 21, with the King presenting their centenary cards in-person.

Charles concluded his message by urging all to follow the late Queen’s “example” and improve the world around us: “So, young or old, and whatever our differences, let us therefore seek to follow this example as we make today not the marking of a milestone felt by absence but the celebration of a life well-lived, and a legacy of hope, as we strive together towards a ‘better, happier tomorrow’ – one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity and security.”

He ended by addressing his mother: “God bless you, darling Mama; you remain forever in our hearts and prayers.”

During the day, members of the monarchy will visit the British Museum to see a scale model of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial with architect Lord Foster, who won the bid to design the national monument, during a reception attended by the prime minister.

The memorial will also feature a “family of gardens” through St James’s Park with meandering paths and a new translucent, glass unity bridge.