Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II. You devoted your life to the service of your country. Always gracious and understated, you were a symbol of continuity and commitment. The greatest of monarchs.

This morning our Union Jack was flying at half-mast as we all digested the sad news that Queen Elizabeth ll has died. The contrast between the excitement of the children starting back at the beginning of this new academic year and the shock and sense of loss that we are now all feeling, is sobering.

At school today we have been balancing the mourning of our beloved monarch with a celebration of her life. It has been lovely to read the many beautiful tributes to the Queen, and I believe Dame Helen Mirren put it particularly well when she described the Queen as the epitome of nobility.

In our Matins service this morning we paid tribute to Her Majesty, with special prayers, beautifully written and read by members of the school, and The Last Post which was played at the end of the service by one of our senior school CCF cadets. The children were superbly respectful and behaved with a degree of decorum that belies their years.

Throughout the day teachers have been talking to the children at an age appropriate level about what this means for the country and why we all respected the Queen so much.

In the coming days there will be more tributes and of course national events planned, and we will keep you informed as we know more. For now, our heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with the royal family at this time of personal loss and grief.