Whilst she may be ninety-five, and fragile, our wonderful Queen made a formidable journey, her first engagement in six months, to attend the memorial service of her beloved late husband.

She was joined by most of her family, Royalty from other countries, heads of state, and some eighteen hundred guests; all of whom gathered to pay their respects to the late Duke of Edinburgh.

They had one thing in common: gratitude and love for the many ways that Prince Philip enhanced their lives through the plethora of work and charitable organisations that he instigated; with perhaps the most recognised one being The Duke of Edinburgh awards.  It’s incredible to think that the initiative that he founded in 1956 is, not only still thriving, but that it has positively changed the lives of thousands of young people in some 144 nations across the world. Ordinary people, often from challenging backgrounds have been given a new start in their lives thanks to his vision.

A year on since his passing, and midst all the uncertainties’ in our World at the moment, it’s uplifting to have observed such a packed congregation. The atmosphere at Westminster Abbey must have bought much comfort to the Queen.

For me personally, the memorial service has highlighted my gratitude for the ones I love.

We are reminded that love is ultimately all we humans have and that the lasting effect of our precious emotion can continue to influence us positively and fill our hearts with the sensation of abundance and joy eternally.

It gives us energy, a purpose in life, and underpins everything else that we do in our lives.

Lastly, I was fretting with my daughter yesterday, because I’ve lost most of my work, and it’s not easy being a person of my age, and with a disability, to find replacement projects. I said to her, about wishing to have money to spend on any future grandchildren. She replied: “Mum who cares about money, all my kids will want to do is love you and spend quality time with you!”