Queen Elizabeth held a reception at Sandringham on the eve of the 70th anniversary of her reign.
The 95-year-old monarch met members of the Sandringham community at the royal residence on Saturday (05.02.22), when the Queen was described as being on “sparkling” form.
Yvonne Browne, the vice-president of the Sandringham Women’s Institute, told the BBC: “Seventy years on the throne shows the Queen has been a moving example to absolutely everyone in all walks of life.
“She’s been a constant, compassionate and stoic, everything that makes a perfect human being, and has a great strength of character and has overcome so many things.”
The monarch – who was joined at the event by volunteer groups and pensioners – has actually been a member of the Sandringham branch of the Women’s Institute since 1943.
The Queen also spoke with a group of former employees at the Sandringham Estate, and they spent time reminiscing about a flood in Norfolk in 1953.
She said: “I remember sitting at dinner, the fire alarm went off – no fire, the sea was coming in. It’s a very nasty experience.”
Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Canterbury recently paid a glowing tribute to the monarch.
Justin Welby praised the Queen’s “leadership and character” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added: “She takes her duties seriously, but she doesn’t take herself very seriously. She laughs in private, she has an absolutely superb sense of humour. It’s not about me almost sums up her reign.”
Prince Philip – the Queen’s husband – passed away in April, aged 99.
And the Archbishop praised how she coped with his funeral, which was held with COVID restrictions.
He said: “The clearest moment for me, the absolute summit of that, was that at the funeral of her husband of 70-something years, she sat alone.
“That was leadership, it was doing the right thing, it was duty, it set an example.”