Last Thursday, Canadians across our great country were shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her life was devoted to public service to her realms across the world.

Over the course of 70 years on the throne, the Queen was a steadfast and reliable friend of Canada and Canadians from coast to coast to coast. There were 22 official visits and stops in every province, and over the decades, her visits to Canada touched the lives of many Canadians. Our family was just one of them.

In 1951, my late father-in-law Lorne Hooper was part of an advance team for Princess Elizabeth’s royal tour of Canada. Months later, she would become Queen.

In 1992, as part of Canada 125 celebrations, our daughter, Kïrsten, and her friends in central choir in Ottawa sang for Queen Elizabeth.

Her Majesty’s last visit to Canada in 2010 included a stop here, where she and the late Prince Philip were greeted by hundreds of well-wishers here at Queen’s Park, and I think we all remember that. It was on that tour that something special happened.

Months before the tour, my father-in-law, who liked to write letters, wrote a letter to Governor General Michaëlle Jean, explaining his connection to the royal tour, how something had happened at the end so that advance team didn’t get a chance to meet the princess and how my mother-in-law had a lifelong admiration, an incredible devotion to the Queen—I think I would even call it a relationship to someone she had never met—and how my mother-in-law, Yvonne, had lost her closest brother in Dieppe.

Months later, they received a reply inviting them to Rideau Hall. So, of course, they went out—everything new, the hat. My mother-in-law was really quite—as your mother probably was—quite excited. The day came, and they had expected to be amongst the hundreds of people there to greet the Queen, like we had here at Queen’s Park. When they arrived at Rideau Hall, to their surprise, they were placed in the receiving line with the Prime Minister and dignitaries from across Canada.

For more than 50 years, my mother-in-law, Yvonne, had deeply respected, admired and I would say loved Queen Elizabeth. She understood the Queen’s life of responsibility, service, duty and devotion. It’s something which in recent years I have come to more fully understand myself. It was truly an incredible gift for Yvonne to meet the Queen at almost 90 years of age. Over the span of 70 years, this was only one of the thousands of times where Queen Elizabeth touched the lives of individual Canadians.

Queen Elizabeth lived a life of great faith and centredness—a calm in the eye of many storms. Her Majesty’s record of duty, responsibility, steadfastness and public service is unmatched. And the Queen’s example is not just for those who seek public life, it’s for all of us. And as we transition to the reign of our new sovereign, King Charles III, I know we will continue to reflect on the life that was.

We send our deepest condolences to our new King and his family as they mourn the loss of a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. God save the King.