A MOTHER'S DEVOTION

The relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles, mother and son, monarch and heir, was strong.

In a touching moment during a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show in 2009, Queen Elizabeth II presented Prince Charles with the Royal Horticultural Society’s Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest accolade that the Royal Horticultural Society can bestow. The relationship between them was one of mutual respect and warmth, with each drawing out the best in one another.

In 2018, the Queen toasted Charles at his 70th birthday party, saying, “I have seen Charles become a champion of conservation and the arts, a great charitable leader – a dedicated and respected heir to the throne to stand comparison with any in history – and a wonderful father.”

In his first address to the nation following her death, King Charles III made an emotional and deeply personal tribute to the Queen, saying “to my darling Mama, thank you”. He spoke of the personal grief his family felt with her loss. “We owe her the most heartfelt debt any family could owe to their mother, for her love, affection, guidance, understanding and example.”