King Charles Honours Queen Elizabeth on 100th Birth Anniversary

Elizabeth, Britain's longest-reigning and longest-lived monarch, was born on April 21, ‌1926, and spent 70 years on the throne before her death in September 2022 at the age of 96.

In a televised statement, Charles said his mother had shaped the world around her, and touched the lives of countless people.

'MARVELLOUS ​TWINKLE OF THE EYE'

"Today, as we mark what would have been my beloved mother's 100th ​birthday, my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss ⁠of a sovereign who meant so much to us all, and to celebrate anew the many ​blessings of her memory," he said.

"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."

Elizabeth was not expected to ​become queen when she was born, but after her uncle Edward VIII abdicated to marry American divorcee ​Wallis Simpson, her father became King George VI when she was 10. She then became queen herself in 1952, ‌aged ⁠just 25.

To mark the centenary of her birth, the royal family are carrying out a number of engagements this week. On Monday, Charles and his wife Queen Camilla visited a new exhibition, dedicated to her fashion.

On Tuesday, the king and other royals will visit the British Museum to view the final designs for ​a national memorial to Elizabeth ​in London's St ⁠James's Park, featuring statues of the queen and her late husband Prince Philip.

"The nation will commemorate her extraordinary reign with a memorial that offers a place ​of reflection for generations to come," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in ​a statement.

Charles' ⁠sister, Princess Anne, will officially open the Queen Elizabeth II Garden in London's Regent’s Park and the king will host a reception at Buckingham Palace in the evening.

"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," Charles said. "God bless you, ​darling mama. You remain forever in our hearts and prayers."