I’m so glad you posted that. I was thinking about it as I went to bed last night. The day after she had her Coldstream Guards play our national anthem, she herself led the singing of The Star Spangled Banner at the memorial service:
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“The queen joined a crowd of thousands in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during a memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London for the victims on Sept. 14, 2001. Richard Kay, a columnist for the Daily Mail, wrote at the time about how unusual this was for a monarch, saying, “The Queen does not ‘sing’ national anthems. Her mouth never opens when they are played. It was the ultimate sign of unity, friendship, and support for America.” It is believed to be the first time a British monarch sang the anthem in public.”
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I remember well the British citizens quietly reverently laying bouquet after bouquet of flowers at the gates of our embassy after 911, too, and how I found that comforting in a way I did not expect.
She has sent our presidents a message of condolence on the anniversary of 911 every single year without fail, always pitch perfect. The last one, 2021:
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“My thoughts and prayers — and those of my family and the entire nation — remain with the victims, survivors and families affected, as well as the first responders and rescue workers called to duty,” she said in a message to U.S. President Joe Biden.
“My visit to the site of the World Trade Center in 2010 is held fast in my memory,” Elizabeth said.
“It reminds me that as we honour those from many nations, faiths and backgrounds who lost their lives, we also pay tribute to the resilience and determination of the communities who joined together to rebuild.”
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Her message to her subjects gathered at St. Thomas church in New York to mourn British citizens who lost their lives on 911 and to pray for those injured and missing concluded:
“But nothing that can be said can begin to take away the anguish and the pain of these moments. Grief is the price we pay for love.”
Indeed, Ma’am, indeed.
