20 Best Queen Elizabeth II Quotes In Honor Of Her Iconic Reign
Queen Elizabeth II: 1926-2022
Wikimedia Commons / Joel Rouse/ Ministry of Defence, OGL 3 Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, as the longest reigning monarch in the UK.
While remaining committed to one job for even a handful of years can feel like a lifetime, the Queen quite literally committed the majority of her life to serving her people, and it should be no great surprise that over the course of her time as the longest ruling Monarch in British history, she has spoken more than her fair share of inspirational life quotes for us all.
The Queen oversaw momentous occasions and world happenings over the course of her reign.
From World War II to the onset of Beatlemania to the abolishment of the death penalty in the UK to Britain's first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, milestone after milestone has marked her many years on the throne, serving as both a symbol and a beacon of England for so many years.
It's hard to imagine what it must be like to take on the Crown of such a great nation as the United Kingdom at the age of 25 as she did.
And while, yes, the woman born Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary on April 21, 1926, grew up in the Royal Family, she was not born to be the Queen. If her uncle, King Edward VIII, had not abdicated the throne in 1936 in order to marry the twice-divorced American love of his life, Wallis Simpson, her father, King George VI, would have gone on to live his relatively simple life as Prince Albert, Duke of York, with her following his that far easier path as well.
Being raised as a royal princess is one thing, but being raised to be the next leader of the British Empire is something else entirely.
It's impossible to know what was going on in her head during the early days of her reign. Even if you're an avid fan of "The Crown" on Netflix, which the Queen herself is believed to adore, none of us will ever really know for certain what has gone on in the privacy of her quarters at Buckingham Palace.
That said, one thing is certain: she never faltered nor shied away from her duty to the British people.
This day is a time for reflection, and this noble ruler, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and record of world history had a wealth of experience, knowledge, and inspiration to pass on to us all.
Here are the best Queen Elizabeth II quotes.
1. “Family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organization or nation.”
2. “We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection. With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock.”
3. “Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.”
4. “Work is the rent you pay for the room you occupy on earth.”
5. "I simply ache from smiling. Why are women expected to beam all the time? It's unfair. If a man looks solemn, it's automatically assumed he's a serious person, not a miserable one.”
6. “I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm, and their inspiration to work together.”
7. “It has perhaps always been the case that the waging of peace is the hardest form of leadership of all.”
8. “When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
9. “The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its average men and women.”
10. “The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.”
11. "Grief is the price we pay for love."
12. "It has always been easy to hate and destroy; to build and to cherish is much more difficult."
13. "Good memories are our second chance at happiness."
14. "It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the hard progress of humankind."
15. "There are long periods when life seems a small, dull round, a petty business with no point, and then suddenly we are caught up in some great event which gives us a glimpse of the solid and durable foundations of our existence."
16. "Cowards falter, but danger is often overcome by those who nobly dare."
17. "In the turbulence of this anxious and active world many people are leading uneventful, lonely lives. To them, dreariness, not disaster, is the enemy. They seldom realize that on their steadfastness, on their ability to withstand the fatigue of dull repetitive work, and on their courage in meeting constant small adversities depend in great measure the happiness and prosperity of the community as a whole."
18. "Indeed, sadly, it seems that it is tragedy that often draws out the most and the best from the human spirit."
19. "What were once only hopes for the future have now come to pass."
20. "I have to be seen to be believed."
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a sex, humor and lifestyle writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cat, Batman. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.