I first met Her Majesty when I was seven years old and her presence throughout my life had been constant, inspiring, and graceful.

As Prime Minister, I benefited from her counsel, her thoughtfulness, her curiosity, her sense of humour, and the engagement that showed a deep and abiding interest in and love for Canadians.

She was our Queen for almost half of our country’s existence.

We came of age under her reign, we adopted a new flag, we repatriated our Constitution, created the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

And her steadiness, and her steadfastness inspired us all.

We are in a challenging and difficult world, but her grace and strength inspire us all to be better.

We will always benefit from what she has done for us.

We endure as she endures in our hearts, in our vision of a better world, and a better Canada for all.