The Queen's History as Commander in Chief - US Marine reacts 

you’re talking to a lot of ex military guys who called her the boss. most of us are very proud of her. frankly i’m gutted she’s gone.

I was lucky enough to serve HM the Queen when she attended the CHOGM Meetings in Melbourne in 1981. I was a young Victoria Police Constable and was chosen to work on her security detail when she traveled to various meetings. A few days in to this, a couple of us were standing at attention outside a venue doorway waiting for the Queen to be led into a function when there was a delay. She came up behind us and said, "How are you boys doing, I've seen you here at all these events, you always beat me here." we laughed and said "that's our job Ma'am." She said, "well, you're very good at it. Seems I've beaten the rest of the group here myself." "Have you boys eaten anything?" We said "we're OK Ma'am, Thank you." She said, "well, after I go inside you should follow me and get some tea & biscuits, there's always plenty left over at these things." After she went inside with the other leaders we followed to get some tea and snacks and our Sgt came up and asked us what the Hell we thought we were doing. We told him the Queen ordered us to get some refreshments. He looked puzzled but didn't stop us. You could see him thinking to himself, are these guys having me on? What if the Queen really did give them an order. He said, "I saw her talking with you.. Is that what she was talking to you about? We said yes...lol. God bless the Queen. She reminded me of my Mum.

I remember a drunken conversation at a Mess function once where the discussion was whether, if it ever came to it, would we follow The Boss or would we follow the lying bunch of feckless chancers that changed every few years. Cromwell would not have liked the unanimous answer. It’s hard to explain to anyone outside the British military what The Queen meant to us, she was beyond being a physical “person”, she was an ideal, a representation of what the country was beyond the political.

I come from a military family. My dad served 22 years, my brother served 4 and my sister served 6 in thr RAF. When the Queen visited the area we were living in, my dad and brother were invited. My brother had suffered catastrophic injuries while on duty in N.I. A conversation took place where Her Majesty asked how my dad was coping. He explained he was trying to get the family home to a small island but couldn't leave my brother to search for a house. A year later a letter arrived from Buckingham Palace . The Queen had asked for a search of properties suitable and notified my dad that one was available for rent. He got home. All the thousands of people she met and she did this.

I took my oath to Queen and Country when I was a 18 year old boy. I did about 10 Royal route linings, lining the route on Whitehall when the Queen had state visits. I don't mind admitting I was in tears the evening she died. RIP Ma'am. Never forgotten.

I was one of the officers lining this route today. What a surreal experience it was, and what an occasion. Not only was she the Queen, she was a guiding light, a constant and incorruptible figure, grandmother to the nation, and her dignity, stoicism, and steadfast leadership is an irreplaceable loss to the UK and the world. RIP to one of the greatest Britons the world will ever know.

Losing her is hard to bear, but as the Queen herself said; "Grief is the price we pay for love".

As a ex serving soldier of the British army, let me thank you for paying respect to our queen, it means a lot.

I think it's pretty cool that the people of the U.K. keep their traditions alive. It's very respectful and shows pride in their history. Respect to my brothers and sisters across the "pond" 🇬🇧

It feels bloody horrible to be honest. Like you've lost someone, even though most of us never met her, we felt like we knew her. She was always there, a constant in an ever changing world. I'm 51yrs old and like most have never known another Sovereign, now we have a King with at present two more to follow. So Queen Elizabeth II is going to be my only queen, and what a hell of a Queen she was. She gave herself wholeheartedly to her country and to duty. May she rest in peace with her beloved Philip.

The Monarch is the head of State. The military is the Monarch's. There is no politics. The Head of State is not political, there should be no conflict if serving personal are asked to do something. We the people are subjects of the Monarch and the Monarch is our servant. No oath is sworn to any politicians, just to our representative the Monarch. The passing of one Monarch to the next is seamless, oaths are taken by politicians to the next Monarch. Its hard for someone outside to understand a process that goes back to time immoral. We did try being a Republic, under Cromwell, it wasn't for us. God save the Queen long live the King.

I’m Canadian and my take on her Majesty, the Queen begins with myself singing “God, save the Queen” in grade school to a local visit in 1970 to my small city in “the prairies” for recognition of our agricultural fair. What an amazing woman. Under God , she vowed to represent and protect her countrymen, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth WITHOUT a “political”agenda. My heart aches a little…thank you Ma’am for setting such a fine example for us all! ❤️🇬🇧🇨🇦

I'm so sad. I live in the UK but am a New Zealander, both my Maori and British sides had great affection for the Queen and the Royals in general. My paternal great great grandfather met Her Majesty and Prince Philip on their first visit to New Zealand and I'm fortunate to have a picture of it. I'm also incredibly happy that I chose to go to London with my family and stood on The Mall as the flyover took place to celebrate the Queen's 70th jubilee. She was a thread that entwined me with my familial past and I am deeply saddened to think that that thread is now gone.

I joined the Canadian Forces at 18 (in 1977), and proudly wore her crown on my hat badge for the next 25 years. I really felt I was "serving Queen, and country." In fact, that is why I joined. I then went into reserves, and am still serving as a Canadian Ranger. 45 years serving Her Majesty. Her death was felt personally by me, and I am sure many in Her Majesty's Canadian Armed Forces. She was our Commander in Chief, but so much more than just another general.

There's a vid of Her Majesty telling a high ranking Officer "There must be something for him" Regarding a Canadian Officer on this occasion. She was obviously their head of state also. A Soldier was receiving an honor of some kind. But it was only going to be displayed somewhere. That's when she said "There must be something for him personally". This also shows how much Her Majesty loved her Forces. She loved them. And they loved her. Rest in peace our gracious Queen.

American here, not military. You did a great job reviewing this remarkable video about a truly amazing lady. She may not have been perfect, she was human, after all; but her connection, appreciation and respect for the British Armed Services is surely unequalled. We gained so much with our independence. I truly treasure our freedoms. Yet, this sad occasion reminds us that we did lose something also... We lost a unifying national figure above politics. It is not something that we think about very often. In these fractious times, maybe we should?

Mate about 20% of this country seem to think the Monarchy and Royal family are lazzy and do nothing to earn their money. At the beginning of the video you were honest and said you had no idea or had an opinion about the monarchy and royal family and yet as the short video progressed you picked up on so many things that impressed you, not only Her Majesty's commitment to the British Armed Forces but also the level of work she put in to have a really deep understanding of the military and its service during conflicts and peace times. Thank you for being so astute and acknowledging the level of work and support our monarchy and royal family is expected to do. God bless the Queen and long live the King

One of my new favourite stories is about the plane they used to take her back to London after she passed because it was thought not to be royal enough. So they went to the palace to check, She heard it was a plane used for repatriating fallen soldiers to the UK. So said something similar to 'If it's good enough for my boys it is or me'

I am so grateful the Queen got to see her platinum jubilee, to see all those people showering her with much deserved love and affection.

From a Brit, you made an excellent job paying respect and Her Majesty's Duty through the years. Thank you mate.

As an old sailor of 77 i felt totally empty when I heard the news of the Queens passing , but it gave me hope for the future after hearing The Kings speech . God save the King 🇬🇧

I served with the Royal Engineers (Sappers) for about 3.5 years and I always held the Queen in the highest regards. I trained in Kent and eventually passed in 2016, sadly I broke both of my legs in a training exercise which ended my career prematurely. I met the Queen twice whilst I was in Kent, she was warm-welcoming and asked me how I was getting along, she was very well-spoken and not as scary as people think because she is the Queen, in my mind she was a lovely person and I'm deeply saddened at her death like millions up and down the country. Another point I would like to make is a huge majority of the younger generations of today will probably never learn about the Monarchy and it's vast history and importance to our country. Technology, social media and the MM have changed the way the younger generations and the older lot value their free time and sorry if I sound like a Boomer but if I could change how society is today back in to the 50's or 60's I'd do it in a heartbeat. Last thing, now that the Queen has died all of these countries and organisations coming out of the wood-work claiming that they want their "money & jewels" back that the Queen stole from them, I just want to say you can all go and eat cow shit and dip your head in lava yer not havin' it. (joking, slightly)

So glad you've done something for Her Majesty! RIP. God Save The King!

Canadian here...I was very sad to hear of Queen Elizabeth II passing (may she R.I.P.). Both my parents served during WWII. My father in the RCAF as a pilot/ squadron leader, and my mother on radar in the first radar station in England/ the world as part of the RAF. All of my mother's brothers served during WWII as citizens of the UK, and one eventually died, sadly, due to shell shock. I met the Queen on one of her visits to Toronto, Canada, and years later had the pleasure of having a 15-minute chat with Prince Charles. Queen Elizabeth II was loved by my family, but I can say without a doubt, especially by those who served in the various military services - she was close to their hearts. Thanks.

I'm not British, but I know that the armed forces are devoted to Queen/King and country. They have the outmost respect for the Queen. She served and some members of her family have served in different ways. She was so well-informed about all military that all those high rank members of the army knew that she would notice if there was something wrong. She was wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful video about her late Majesty. Your comments on point and with lots of respect. Thank you for your service!

"...to protect Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II from all enemies...". That's from the Oath Of Allegiance that every serviceman and woman over the last 70 years swore when they signed up. Anyone unwilling to swear the oath isn't accepted in the military. Simple as that. RIP ma'm.

Some years ago, a friend of mine who was in the Royal Marines came home on leave. At some point we got talking about politics, I said to him suppose the government ordered the military to do one thing but the Queen commanded them to do something else. Who would be obeyed. His response was instant, "I'm in the Royal Marines. I serve the Queen." I'm not sure why but even now I find that somehow touching and even reassuring.

I'm a Brit and I cried at the news of her death. I cried watching this video. To try and put it into some form of perspective, it is like losing a grandmother. For me anyway. I loved the Queen dearly and I know there will be more tears to come, especially on the day of her funeral. I am sure her son, King Charles III will make her proud.

Australia is in mourning for our beloved Queen Elizabeth ll . May she rest in peace. we will miss her.. but in our hearts for ever. God save the King ...Thank you for showing so such respect...

my lad Jordan served with Prince Harry on one of his tours. We all send our kids stuff from home. Harry would get his from the Queen just like any other grandmother to grandson. Most of us who serve or served regarded her as "The Boss" i think. I look forward to Charles as King. I met him twice while serving and i liked him. End of an Era of course but she was all for moving forward but i must admit she was Queen when my Grandad was serving. She was Queen when my Dad was Serving. She was Queen when i was serving and she was Queen my sons were serving and now shes gone. Feels a little bit odd...........My oldest is still in. Super funny to think he will serve under a King too...

I'm kind of tearing up when I hear the anthem 'God save the Queen'...love from Fiji 🇫🇯 ❤

It's difficult to explain the effect our monarchy has on us & the nation. The is a inner pride that blooms when the royal banner is flying and unless your a hater you cannot help but feel QE2 was a mothering figure as steadfast as the rock of Gibraltar who would live forever. Reality is we mourn her with broken hearts and her memory will be honoured for generations to come. God Bless the Queen....Long Live the King.

Losing the queen is like Losing the nations grandmother. I for one am grateful to have been one of her people. RIP your majesty. God save the King

Losing our Queen broke my heart. I know its the unavoidable conclusion to life but I had convinced myself we would always have her. RIP your Majesty 😔

I served for 18 yrs. The Queens passing has left a hole in my life. I am 80 yrs old but the Queen has always been there. The one true constant that we could depend on. Now she has gone. She served us well and will be missed by many.

The Queen’s father, Prince Albert ( later King George VI) was a Midshipman on board HMS Collingwood in the battle of Jutland in 1916. 14 British ships were lost along with more than 6000 British sailors. He had joined the Royal Navy aged 13. He later said he was very surprised to have survived.

Joined the RAF as an Officer Cadet on my 17 and a half birthday - I couldn't legally have joined the day before - and am honoured to served HMTQ as one of her Officers. RIP, Boss. It was a privilege. Edit: Thank you for a respectful presentation and for the support from 'Across the Pond'.

Really appreciate this video on Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Especially in these sad times. The best way I can describe losing her is like losing a grandmother. Even though she was 96, I just always assumed she would be there. On happier notes there are lots of funny videos and clips of her and I highly recommend anyone to view them. Seeing the Queen get excited over some cows really makes ya smile

New to your channel. I loved your commentary especially how respectful you were. For that thank you. I'm Irish married with two children in London for 23 years. I was never a big fan of royalty but when the Queen made a state visit to the Republic of Ireland in 2011. The first British Monarch to visit the Republic of Ireland in 100 years. It was a very special visit but Queen Elizabeth went to extraordinary lenghts to embrace the Irish people. HMTQ spoke Irish ( Gaelige- National Language) in Dublin Castle very significant, emblematic & powerful recognition of our history, culture & self identity of the Republic of Ireland. Five words spoken by HMTQ " A Uachtaráin agus a chairde" ( President & friends spoken in perfect pronunciation of a very difficult language), this was the point that brought the entire country to a literal stand still, in complete & utter shock, in a great way. A British Monarch stood in Dublin Castle as a guest greeting our head of State & other dignitories of Ireland & with utmost respect spoke our mother tongue ( 700 years was banned by the British to be spoken) only allow to speak English. This alone was epic for all Irish people all over the world. That was the turning point that changed the minds of anyone that had any doubts from history & stories handed down over the generations. HMTQ also visted the Garden of Rememberance in Dublin City Centre & she laid a wreath for all lrish soliders & civilians who lost theirs lives during the 700 years of British Occupancy & many wars in Ireland & she prayed & reflected. Again this was the second & most powerful & appreciated gesture from HMTQ. This one gesture instantly healed a lot of wounds & sorrow for the Irish Nation. From this point on HMTQ Elizabeth II managed to heal a nation's very large wound & we embraced her with open arms & she was accepted as one of us. But we found out later that HMTQ was adamant to make peace with Ireland while she was alive & all credit is due to her persistance & commitment to seeing that through. Honestly, through our difficult history QEII brought unity & peace to Ireland & UK, relations now are 100%. HMTQ was & still is deeply respected & apprecited, our close relations & history of two neighbourly countries. HMTQ Elizabeth II will be remembered in our Irish history of a decent, kind, forgiving, deeply Christian person of faith, loving, warm, embracing, determined, compassionate, the list is endless.That day in May 2011 moved an entire nation of " not really bothered about the royal family" to the deepest respect & love of a person who respresents a Monarch, that repressed our country for 700 years, was not forgotton but certainly a line drawn under it & a fresh start for all. That was the effect of the gestures HMTQ made during her first State Visit of a British Monarch on Irish soil in 100 years. The significance was very overwelming & still is to this day. A lot of hearts were healed in May 2011 & a lot of hearts were broken for a wonderful lady that passed away on 8th September 2022. The likes of HMTQ Elizabeth II were unique to her era & are never to be seen again. Now the Royal Family regularily visit Ireland on both State visits & private visits & it's great to see they can come & go peacefully & are always welcomed with open arms of all Irish people North & South of the border, receiving our famous Irish hospitality & a million welcomes. This was only a dream over the decades but HMTQ made it happen. For that the Irish people will always to grateful to HMTQ Elizabeth II. She will be sorely missed, very large shoes to fill, but never forgotton. God bless the Queen. Long live the King Charles III. Sorry this post was so long but thought it of great importance to share our Irish part & the significant role HMTQ played to reestablish good relations between our two nations & has encouraged deep healthy roots for many, many decades in the future. HMTQ encouraged countries that wanted independance, she was very fair minded. It's tragic to see how some uneducated people are blaming HMTQ for the sins of The British Empire passed. When she was responsible for disbanding the British Empire. She did so with dignity & compassion. Yet ignoramus' out there still blame her personally for the atrosities of the British Empire from 17th, 18th & 19th centuries before she was even born. It is so sad these people trying desperately to tarnish a wonderful long & proud legacy from HMTQ Elizabeth II when it is completely unfounded & utter lies from their perverse point of view. Let the lady rest in peace, read the history & educate yourself before making a complete fool of yourself, these are great examples of misinformation & disinformation of 2022. It is just down right WRONG or simply put LIES ( falsity, hypocrisy, deceitfulness, dishonesty, pretense or deception). Apologies again for the rant near the end. RIP HMTQ Elizabeth II. God Bless & may she finally be reunited with her beloved Phillip. REST IN ETERNAL PEACE. Sinéad, London, UK ❤️💜🌟🇮🇪🇬🇧🕯🙏😇❤️💜💝😉🤗🍀🌟😇🕯🙏💜❤️🇮🇪🇬🇧

It's been an incredibly sad few days, and even as a 51 year old man, it's been difficult to hold back the tears at times. Today was extremely sad, seeing King Charles standing guard over the Queen's coffin, with The Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. The King's expression was truly heart breaking. I'm sure I speak for many here when I say thank you for your reaction and respect for our Royal family, traditions, and military.

I am not from the UK nor any of the Commonwealth countries, however I had huge admire for her, as she seemed as one genuine historical figure, sincerely loved by her own people, by veterans and active soldiers. She marked an era worldwide and I had sad moments watching her funeral

It's worth remembering, she was also Commander in Chief of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica and 10 other countries.

Its very moving watching the funeral ceremonies the Brits have ceremony down to an art form. Im Norwegian but the Queen has been a fixture in my life as well and its very sad that she is now gone.

Thank you for showing the respect the Queen deserves, I've seen some people being horrible since her death and they have a right to do that as a free individual but these people have no sense of decorum, Thank you for your respectful response.

That was my queen. She was our head of state when I was born in 1962. She was our queen when my great grandparents was alive and still that as my grandchildren was born. She was my commander in chief from joining the army in 1978 until retiring in 2002. It is weird to not have her now. I kinda miss her. God Save the king.

You are as always such a respectful man and a credit to your great nation, thankyou for taking the time to honour our queen on your channel

As an ex British infantry soldier of 16 years the Queen was my colonel in chief. It was always a very good day lots of preparations but worthwhile. I served 16 years the queen served for 70. Much respect to her. Remember we die for queen and Country. Something maybe you don't understand us. Much respect to you and our cousins across the pond.

For all of us, she was quite simply "THE BOSS" .

Thank you for this awesome video! I'm Canadian, and we have a very special relationship with the Royal family (we are a Constitutional Monarchy). A lot of Canadians are heartbroken over the Queen's death, my family included. King Charles III just seems wrong somehow...but still, God save the King...and God bless our Queen! ❤

Such a lovely and respectful video. As an Aussie and part of the Commonwealth, she was like a special Grandmother growing up and we here have great respect for such a remarkable lady. When she took over as Queen at such a young age, she has been a constant in so many generations lives over the decades whether it be through wars, natural disasters or even pandemics. Then there's the many, many changes of leadership whether it be Prime Ministers or Presidents the world over, the Queen's role never changed, she was always there. In Australia, being such a young young country still, she's been a very large part of our history and has been the only Monarch to feature on our currency since we changed from pounds to dollars in 1966. We've changed our designs on our coins and notes over that time, yet the Queen has always been there and part of our identity. We all knew she would pass on one day but it always felt like she would go on forever and ever. It really feels like losing your Grandmother and I was really shocked when I heard the news, she was still performing her duties 2 days before her death and truly devoted her life to serving her people. Her passing will affect people for a long time to come and no doubt uncertainty about what the future will be like under a King, he has very big shoes to fill! So great to see other countries reactions and respect shown for the amazing and remarkable lady that she was. Loved this video. We also have a shrine to the unknown soldier here in Australia too. Yes, soldiers can be knighted. One of our greatest and most respected modern Military leaders in Australia (I think he led the Aussies during Desert Storm but don't quote me on that, it was around that time, waiting to read his biography) was honoured with the title, General Sir Peter Cosgrove, he also held the role of Governor-General of Australia before retiring.

Served HM during the Cold War in the RAF. Now at almost 80 years old her passing has made me very sad as she had been a part of my life for all that time. Appreciate your compassionate input and feelings.regarding what she meant to both serving and Veterans of her Armed Services

Thanks Yank - respect to you and the US Marine Corps as always. Talked to a lot of people, even those who aren't "monarchists" and all happy to say they respected her. What do I take from her reign? She knew when to speak, words of comfort or encouragement, and she knew when to keep her mouth shut. Britain's greatest diplomat, and our symbol of grace and determination, long to be missed.

Queen Elizabeth II was not just Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom but also Commander-in-Chief of the 15 Commonwealth Realms. As a Canadian soldier, I swore an oath of alliance to "the Queen and her heirs". Each of the members of the royal family serve as Royal Colonel of at least one regiment. The Royal Colonel of the regiment I served in, is Princess Anne.

thank you for being so respectful so many haven't yet to us and commonwealth countries she meant so much

I appreciate your respect for the Queen and all she represents and of course the respect you show for all the people in service of duty. I appreciate your sensible and open minded nature as well. Great content buddy!

The soldier was kneeling on a support to lower himself to allow the queen to place the staff of the colours in the leather support before standing again to be able to troop the colours to the waiting troops. An age old tradition dating back to the days of armies fighting hand to hand. The colours were to allow troops separated from their battalions to be able to find their way back.

When the leader, the Prime Minister, or President has to go each week to face someone who's authority is far beyond theirs it means no leader will think beyond the reach of their office. Not only was the monarch a source of advice and knowledge but was also a limiting factor where necessary. The monarchy is sometimes a sail, a rudder or an anchor, depending. That's its ultimate and most effective function. In recent years, events abroad have demonstrated the importance of this function and its value beyond that of the superficial.

Wow - I didn't know about the Elizabeth cross, either. This is the first time I've seen this video, and I really appreciate your perspective and comments along with learning so much more about Queen Elizabeth's lifelong association and respect for her military.

Very well done video which illustrates the clear and understandable link between the British monarchy and the military. The Queen deeply respected all branches of the armed forces and that respect was returned. On a side note, 99-year-old Capt Tom Moore proposed to walk 100 lengths of his garden starting April 6, 2020, to aid the NHS in its fight against Covid-19. He hoped to have raised £1000 by his 100th birthday, April 30th. On his birthday, the total passed the £30 million mark. At the end of his campaign, the total was over £39 million. That is why he was deservedly knighted as shown at 35:45 by the Queen.

As a veteran she will always be known to me as " The Boss" May she rest in peace

I joined the armed forces at 17, my first posting was northern ireland. I had my 18th birthday at camp and was out the same day, with a broken thumb. The queen was our commander and chief, and i would have gone to fight anywhere in the world, even now if required. God bless the queen, god save the king...

Thank you for watching this video, and being so respectful. We will miss her so much.

Thanks for doing this in such a respectful way. Loosing the Queen has effected me way more than I expected it to. She was after all my old boss... Thanks again 👍

The Queen is the cement that knits the entire country together. I cannot express the respect that the average citizen has for her and will always have. Her son has some very large shoes to fill. She had more power in her eyebrow than any Prime Minister that served the country.. Thank you for doing this.

Am proud to say I took my oath to the Queen in 1989. Just as proud to say I never swore an oath to a politician.

I worked for the Royal Household as a maid in the late 80's, every Christmas time we would queue up to receive a present from the Queen, one which we'd chosen ourselves from a catalogue. I haven't experienced such a thoughtful gesture from any other employer. I also met Nancy and Ronald Reagan, they were the only visitors during my time there who were introduced to staff so I wonder if it was by their request. Nancy wanted to stop and speak to us but she was ushered along!

As someone who is joining the Royal Marines this year.. I can say I'm very disappointed I won't be serving under her reign

Like the majority of people, I have buried family and friends but the Queen passing has a completely different meaning. She was a constant for generations of us Brits. A great loss for us all.

RIP Ma'am. Thank you for all those years of service. God save the King.

Thank you for that respectful video. From the perspective of someone from Great Britain, I (we) really feel the loss of our late monarch so deeply. It’s a very emotional time, and feels surreal. We knew this time would have to come, but it’s never easy. The King is already a great monarch, and has has a perfect template to follow. Long live the King.

I feel lost without her. A rock we all looked up to. And yes the armed forces are 100% loyal to the crown and definitely not to the politicians.

Nice you did this mate. When you say that is insane, that is a standard still maintained to this day. The Royals are intertwined in the military, many have served and hold rank and commission, many have additional honorary titles and are the Commanders of their own regiments. Unless you are British, it can be hard to understand how much they mean. All said though, they are like a foundation to us and the Queen was like our rock, you felt she would always be there. Will take us a while to get used to as she is all many of us have known. My family has a long tradition in the military, my grandfather in WW1, my Grandad a Lancaster pilot in WW2, my Grandmother serving in the WAF and my own service of nearly 15 years. She was our guiding light and we served her as she served us, a very humble, giving and honest person from an era that has now closed. May Your Majesty Rest In Peace, I'm still shedding a tear hear and there. Cheers again mate.

My father is 87 , he lost his father during World War 2 when he was 7 years old. When his time came to do his National Service ( the UK had conscription until 31/12/1960 ) in 1954, he was selected for Officer Training and chose to join his Dads branch of the Army, the Royal Signals. He served in Egypt and Cyprus. Sadly, he now suffers from dementia but his Commission scroll, signed by the Queen, still hangs in his study. We have lost a great and very special lady .... RIP Ma'am and thank you for everything ! 😔

I never met the Queen myself however both my mum and stepdad have and they both agree on this simple phrase to describe her. "She is a short woman, but she has a large heart, full of love for her people."

Very nice Theo, Classy vid, respectful reaction. As a Brit who has spent all 42 years of his life with her as monarch it feels weird and a bit surreal. My father who is 70 and served for 33 years in the army was born 2 months after she became Queen, there will never be another like her. God save the King.

14:20 when I was growing up, you were lucky to see one or two medals on a servicemans chest; the fact that so many soldiers have chests full of brass these days is pure testament to the effort and performance we've asked of them the last 2 decades

Great job on the video and your thoughtful and respectful take on it. Having worked in support of UK forces before moving to Canada some 20 years ago, ending up supporting the Canadian forces - finding it a uniquely sad occasion regarding the Queens passing from both a UK and Commonwealth perspective.

Just wanted to thank you so much for taking the time to create this video. Here in the UK it has felt...emotional, intense, and sometimes even a little destabilising to have lost our Queen after all this time. For many (not all of course) of us she was just always there, and there was something incredibly reassuring about the way she conducted herself. Your thoughtful post means a lot to us at this time.

Great video mate, man you got the water works going again with this one! She was the most amazing woman, it feels like losing part of your day to day life. Not many will know a life without her being there, so it feels very strange and sad

Thank you for the respect shown to our monarch, i took the Queens shilling back in 1973, i still have it, To us veterans and serving soldiers, sailers and airmen she was 'the Boss', have to admit to sheding a tear during the video and no doubt more to come in the days ahead. God Save the Queen.

Thanks so much for accepting my suggestion, Theo! Looking forward to seeing your take on the Queen's (and now the King's) role in our Armed Forces.

I am an Englishman born and bred, I am 54 and have only ever known Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as the raining monarch, to me, her loss is like being in a thick fog, we move forward without knowing what is to come but also a feeling of loss of identity. Our Queen was our one constant in an ever-changing world, she was our north star, our hope, and mother to us all. We all knew this day would come but the shock of losing her is almost unbearable, I think former prime minister Boris Johnson said it best when wrote and I quote “She seemed so timeless and so wonderful that I am afraid we had come to believe, like children, that she would just go on and on,” Our Queen is dead long live the King.

Really enjoyed your reaction - tasteful, respectful, informed, and happy to say what you don't know. You're a top man.

God bless our queen 🇬🇧❤️

Don’t forget, she was our queen in Australia too. I remember her coming to my town when I was around 15. She said hello to me and I’ll never forget that. She was an amazing lady and we in Australia mourn her greatly too.

My first husband was in the RAF, Queen Elizabeth was quite simply his boss. Her death is a great loss to our country & to many others around the world.

The Unknown Warrior Story/The Band of HM Royal Marines (19mins 36 sec) is worth a look. The first world war film footage crackles a little from time to time, but I think seeing footage of the actual men who helped create such an iconic memorial makes the story even more moving. In the UK we hold a concert honouring the military, at the Royal Albert Hall, on the Eve of Remembrance Sunday. Both events are watched nationally. It was the time of Covid however. The Royal Marines were faced with an empty hall. This is what they did with it ... hats off to the marines!

Good job, and thank you. Just feel compelled to add that the "We will meet again" line in her Covid speech is a call back to WW2, a Vera Lynn song (The Forces Sweetheart). I swore my oath to her, as an ex-soldier and I meant every word of it. I saw her on visit to Kenya in 72 - I grew up there. I saw at Catterick Garrison while in the Army, seen her since a few times in London. My HK Chinese wife always called the Queen, her British mum - and is quite devastated by her passing. I am still trying to get my own head around her loss, and my own emotions in check (don't always win). She has been, like so many, a stable everlasting part of our lives. She will be missed. God save the King.

She was amazing. She was the Queen of Australia too, not just Britain. You did a good job, mate. Very respectful.

RIP Lilybeth, even Sweden is gonna miss you. 🇬🇧 🇸🇪

Thank you for your respectful and kind coverage of our queen, she will be missed. Long live the King!

Top video. Respect to you and our brothers over the pond. I took the shilling in 92, but my first memory of how special HM was, was in 1977( I was seven in 1977), Silver Jubilee year. One of our teachers, who seemed to have inside knowledge of the Queens itinerary, felt like it was a good idea for the class to travel to London to surprise HM. We gathered in Birdcage Walk and cheered as loudly as 7 year olds can and waved flags as vigorously as we could as the Queen passed by in the Royal Car. I think we gave her protection officer a mild heart attack in the process, but HM seemed to enjoy our efforts. A short time later the school received a letter from Buckingham Palace thanking us for the surprise. Many years later I went back to my old junior school and in the hall, mounted on the wall, in pride of place was the letter from Buckingham Palace. I still have my head, so HM must have looked favourably on our antics.

THANK YOU for THIS vid; ‘Though “we” broke away…I STILL admire Britain/England. I am saddened by her passing; SHE led her country in a very admirable way…SHE never “put a foot wrong”…SHE WILL be missed; I will miss her prescence. RIP. 🥲😞👠👣

She was an inspirational woman. My heart feels abit broken now, even hearing her speak again brings a lump to my throat. God rest her soul.

It is amazing having somoene like you who has military experience to sit through quite a lengthy video and react to it and recognize its significance. As a Canadian, I grew up with teachers talking about the Queen. It is definitely sad to see her go after so many years.

My Dad served King George until 1946 through WW2. He loved Queen Elizabeth as does most of the UK. Including me. God save the King.

In Norwa too, the last 4 generations of Royals have done military service and gone through miliary academies. The current King is Commander in Chief, a general, and went to the Army academy. The Prince went through the navy academy, before studying abroad.

I can understand she was the culmination of almost 1000 years of history. Even outside her status she was remarkable woman. If you think about Aragorn from Lord of the rings, it's based on European history how the kings of the lands are meant to inspire the nations, you would probably follow Aragorn to the Black Gates.

Respect 🙏 to you for your genuine and warm reaction...I felt it. I Salute Sir!!!

I'm not in the military but I would die for queen/king and country and I'm very lucky and proud to be apart of this great country