A monarch unmatched in dedication

As the third anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth II approaches, OK! reflects on her lasting legacy

- LEO ROBERTS

Even with her 96 years of wisdom and experience, it is unlikely Queen Elizabeth II could have fully envisioned the monumental shifts that have defined the three years since her death on 8 September 2022.

From the shockwaves that followed the January 2023 publication of her grandson Prince Harry's autobiography, Spare, to the cancer diagnoses of her son, King Charles III, and her grandson's wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, in 2024, the royal family has faced some profound challenges. During the last year alone, the House of Windsor has been under more pressure than ever before, with the responsibility of royal duty falling on the shoulders of an increasingly fragile - and much depleted - family.

“It was always known that the King wanted a slimmed down monarchy, but now it is a bit too slim,” warns royal author Phil Dampier. “Harry and Meghan have departed, you've got Andrew in disgrace and Princess Anne is in her seventies. A lot of the older royals, like the Duke of Kent [who is 89] and Princess Alexandra [88], are at the end of their working lives. So all of a sudden you've got a hell of a lot on William and Kate - and then, of course, Kate got ill.”

While the public may have rejoiced at Kate's recovery following her cancer treatment, in recent months life for the royal family has been far from plain sailing. Earlier this year, in March, the King was forced to cancel a string of engagements after he was readmitted to hospital after experiencing "temporary side-effects" from his ongoing cancer treatment.

Although royal sources described the setback as a "most minor bump in a road", it was a stark reminder that the monarch, 76, is by no means out of the woods as far as his recovery is concerned.