King Charles III, 74, remembered his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, with a touching tribute on the eve of the first anniversary of her death. The head of the Royal Family took to social media on Sept. 7 to share a video montage with memories of the late monarch, along with a voice recording of him paying tribute to her. “In marking the first anniversary of Her late Majesty’s death and my Accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us,” he said in the clip.
The 74-year-old went on to express his gratitude for the support that the United Kingdom has given to him and his wife, Queen Camilla, 76. “I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all,” he concluded in the audio. He notably signed the caption with “- Charles R.” The father of Prince Harry, 38, and Prince William, 41, ascended to the throne upon his mother’s death in Sept. 2022. Elizabeth died on Sept. 8 of that year.
Some of the photos included in the video montage pictured Elizabeth with her eldest son and his wife. The main snapshot was one of the late 96-year-old’s earlier royal portraits. Elizabeth looked stunning with an official black velvet cape and a large crown on her head. Harry and William’s grandmother served as the British monarch from 1952 until her passing in 2022.
Soon after the Royal Family‘s social media account shared the tribute post, many of the queen’s admirers took to the comments to remember Her Majesty one day ahead of the anniversary of her passing. “Your Majesties are carrying on the legacy with compassion and dignity…,” one fan wrote, while another penned, “I will always remember where I was at the moment when I learned that Queen Elizabeth passed.” Elizabeth is survived by her four children including: Anne, Princess Royal, 73, Prince Andrew, 63, Prince Edward, 59, and Charles.
The king was not the only Royal Family member to honor Elizabeth on Sept. 7 either, as Harry mentioned her in his speech at the annual awards for WellChild in the U.K., as reported by PEOPLE. “As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year as my grandmother passed away,” the 38-year-old began in his speech. “As you also probably know, she would have been the first person to insist that I still come to be with you all instead of going to her. And that’s precisely why I know, exactly one year on, she is looking down on all of us tonight, happy we’re together continuing to spotlight such an incredible community.”
Last year, Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, cancelled their trip to the annual ceremony upon learning about Elizabeth’s declining health. A rep for the duo told the mag on Sept. 7, that they will honor her on the anniversary of her death in private. “The Duke, the Duchess and their family will privately acknowledge and honor the Queen on the anniversary of her passing,” they said.
