A tribute has been paid by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Jo Ropner, following the announcement of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
She said:
“It is with the most profound sadness that I have learnt of the death of Her Majesty the Queen.
“Her unfailing commitment to our country and to the wider Commonwealth throughout the past 70 years has been an inspiration to us all.
“On Her Majesty’s 21st birthday in 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth vowed that her ‘whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’ in an address broadcast to the Commonwealth, a commitment which was reaffirmed during her Coronation in 1953.
“That her life was so blessedly long, and that her youthful vow was kept so carefully, is an accomplishment for which we, as a county and as a nation, will be forever grateful.”
The Queen’s death was confirmed by Buckingham Palace just after 6.30pm this evening.
She died at Balmoral this afternoon, after it was announced earlier today that doctors were concerned about her health. Her immediate family gathered at the Scottish estate through the day.
Visits to North Yorkshire
Ms Ropner highlighted the Queen’s links to the county over her long reign. She said:
“Her Majesty visited North Yorkshire on numerous occasions, including the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate to mark its 150th anniversary in 2008 and the Maundy Thursday service at York Minster in 2012, and the county’s residents always welcomed the Queen with warm enthusiasm.
“I had the privilege of meeting Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace when I was appointed as Lord Lieutenant in 2018, and I know from personal experience that every engagement was conducted with grace and genuine interest, that every person felt the spark from meeting not only their monarch, but a truly remarkable woman whose commitment to her role will be remembered for generations to come.
“On behalf of the people of North Yorkshire, York and Teesside, I shall be expressing my heartfelt condolences to Her Majesty’s family.”
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