The Queen's Most Memorable Quotes About Motherhood
'The birth of a baby brings great happiness, but then the business of growing up begins.'
Queen Elizabeth II was a mother-of-four, had eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She gave birth to her eldest child, the newly appointed King Charles III, when she was 22. She later welcomed her and Prince Philip's only daughter, Princess Anne (Princess Royal) in 1950, Prince Andrew (Duke of York) in 1960 and Prince Edward (Earl of Wessex) in 1964.
The longest reigning monarch, who died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle, Scotland surrounded by her children and other royal family members, was known by many as a mother to us all. And during her 70-year reign, she's said many poignant messages about motherhood, from the 'love and unstinting help' she cherished as a mother, to it being 'the only job which matters'.
Her impact as a mother is clear from what her children and great-grandchildren (Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Princess Eugenie, Lady Louise Windsor, Peter Phillips and James, Viscount Severn) have said about her. Ahead of her mother's funeral, Princess Anne, for example, referred to being 'fortunate' to share the last 24 hours of her 'dearest mother's life'. Her statement read: 'It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.'
We've rounded up 10 of the most powerful motherhood quotes from the late Queen, featuring comments she's said about her own experiences and those of others, such as the late Princess Diana.
The Queen's Most Memorable Motherhood Quotes
Wedding anniversary speech at the Guildhall, November 1972
'If I am asked what I think about family life after 25 years of marriage, I can answer with equal simplicity and conviction, I am for it.'
Golden Jubilee, June 2002
‘Our children, and all my family, have given me such love and unstinting help over the years, and especially in recent months.’
Honouring actor Kate Winslet with a CBE, November 2012
'[Motherhood is] the only job which matters.'
Speaking to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, 2018
When speaking to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018: Ardern asked the Queen how she manages being a leader and mother, and Her Majesty replied: 'Well, you just get on with it.'
Christmas broadcast, December 2006
'The birth of a baby brings great happiness, but then the business of growing up begins.'
Christmas broadcast, December 2021
'It’s no surprise that families so often treasure their Christmas routines. We see our own children and their families embrace the roles, traditions, and values that mean so much to us — as these are passed from one generation to the next, sometimes being updated for changing times. I see it in my own family and it is a source of great happiness.'
Coronation Day, June 1953
'Like all the best families, we have our share of eccentricities, of impetuous and wayward youngsters and of family disagreements.'
Princess Diana tribute, September 1997
'In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.
'I admired and respected her for her energy and commitment to others, and especially for her devotion to her two boys.'
Coronation Day, June 1953
'Although my experience is so short and my task so new, I have in my parents and grandparents an example which I can follow with certainty and with confidence.
'As this day draws to its close, I know that my abiding memory of it will be, not only the solemnity and beauty of the ceremony, but the inspiration of your loyalty and affection. I thank you all from a full heart.'
The night before the Queen Mother's funeral, April 2002
'At the ceremony tomorrow I hope that sadness will blend with a wider sense of thanksgiving, not just for her life but for the times in which she lived — a century for this country and the Commonwealth not without its trials and sorrows, but also one of extraordinary progress, full of examples of courage and service as well as fun and laughter.
'This is what my mother would have understood, because it was the warmth and affection of people everywhere which inspired her resolve, dedication and enthusiasm for life.'
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