Queen Elizabeth.Photo: The Royal Family/YouTube
Queen Elizabethkept her late husbandPrince Philipclose as she spoke about his environmental work in a new video message — with a butterfly motif appearing prominently.
The monarch, 95,addressed attendeesat theCOP26 United Nations Climate Change Conferencein Glasgow at an evening reception on Monday via a video she recorded after confirming shewould not attenddue to health concerns.
For the speech, the Queen wore a butterfly brooch with ties to her husband of 73 years.
Though some have speculated the brooch was meant to symbolize a sense of rebirth for the Queen nearly seven months after Philip’sdeathin April at age 99, or that the Duke of Edinburgh has moved onto a more peaceful place, the palace clarified to PEOPLE that the Queen did not intend that reading.
During her speech,Queen ElizabethhonoredPrince Philip’s great passion for the environment — a crusade he passed down to his children and grandchildren.
“The impact of the environment on human progress was a subject close to the heart of my dear late husband,” she said.
The Queen shared a memory from when Philip spoke with an academic gathering at an early point in his half-century-long campaign to fight climate change. Now, decades later, she emphasized, “If we fail to cope with this challenge, all the other problems will pale into insignificance.”
“It is a source of great pride to me that the leading role my husband played in encouraging people to protect our fragile planet lives on through the work of our eldest son,Charles, and his eldest son,William,” she continued. “I could not be more proud of them.”
She added, “Indeed, I have drawn great comfort and inspiration from the relentless enthusiasm of people of all ages —especially the young— in calling for everyone to play their part.”
The Queen’s granddaughterPrincess Eugenieshared her support following the speech on her Instagram Story.
“Brilliant beginning to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference,” Eugenie, 31, captioned a share of the monarch’s speech.
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The Queen plans to the National Service of Remembrance onRemembrance Sunday, November 14, and will continue to undertake light duties from Windsor Castle.
source: people.com
