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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

United Pipers for Peace mourns the loss of Her Majesty the Queen, alongside all citizens of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and throughout the world.

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The Queen's love of the bagpipes has been well documented, with "Pipes", the nickname she gave to the different Queen's pipers throughout her long reign, playing for her every morning at various royal residences, not least of all at Balmoral.

 

In tribute to the Queen, the United Pipers will adorn their pipes with black ribbons and the flags representing each nation will also bear black ribbons.

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Although discreet in her public statements, the Queen found other, more subtle ways of making her opinion known.

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Francophile and Francophone, she made clear her fondness for France, the home of United Pipers for Peace. This fondness was reciprocal as the messages and expressions of grief and mourning from France, Europe and all over the world have demonstrated.

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Her work for peace and fraternity was legendary and, in tribute to Her Majesty, we would like to give her the final word on the values she shared with United Pipers for Peace.

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"I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice. But I can do something else. I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations." - First televised Christmas broadcast, 1957.
 

"When peace comes, remember it will be for us, the children of today, to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place.” - Wartime broadcast with her younger sister, Princess Margaret, October 13, 1940.
 

"We know the reward is peace on Earth, goodwill towards men, but we cannot win it without determination and concerted effort." - Christmas broadcast, 1963.

 

"We may hold different points of view but it is in times of stress and difficulty that we most need to remember that we have much more in common than there is dividing us.” - Christmas broadcast, 1974.

 

“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” - Christmas broadcast, 2008.

 

"It is through this lens of history that we should view the conflicts of today, and so give us hope for tomorrow." - Christmas broadcast, 2011.

 

"The wartime generation — my generation — is resilient." - Speech marking the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, 2019.

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"It's worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change." - Christmas broadcast, 2019.

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Rest in Peace, Your Majesty.

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