Her Majesty has been a staunch defender of the values of faith, family and freedom

As I compose this letter on June 2, the day marks the start of four days of festivities across the country and the Commonwealth, celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The world has changed immeasurably since Her Majesty ascended the throne in 1952, while sadly, her governments over the years have enacted contentious legislation.

One of the Queen’s most difficult tasks has been signing Acts of Parliament which are contrary to her values, but protocol dictates that a monarch never refuses to sign a Bill, which would otherwise engender a constitutional crisis.

Nevertheless Her Majesty has remained a staunch defender of the values of faith, family and freedom, consistent with her Christianiy in a modern Britain with an inexorable trajectory towards secularism.

Queen Elizabeth’s legacy has been a beacon of light in a dark world, an embodiment of her Christian vocation of self-sacrificial love and service to others.

It must be soul destroying for Her Majesty to see some of her family performing self-service, yet the lady responds with grace to them, a characteristic we can all aspire to.

Let us reflect on how the Queen has been a purposeful Monarch this past 70 years, leaving us in no doubt that she will cross the finishing line with excellence.

God Save the Queen!

David Fleming, Downham Market, Norfolk