Queen Elizabeth II Sapphire Reign

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Birthday well wishes don’t get much better than when they are from the world’s most famous horsewoman, the Queen of Canada.

Buckingham Palace released a video message from Queen Elizabeth II, congratulating our country on its 150th birthday.

“I have watched Canada develop into a remarkable nation,” she said in both English and French. “You have earned a reputation as a welcoming, respectful and compassionate country.”

Unlike Her Majesty’s Golden Jubilee in 2002 and her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, her Sapphire Jubilee was a low-key affair with no grand festivities or celebrations. The Queen commemorates the 65th anniversary of her father’s untimely death on Feb. 6, 1952.

The decision to quietly commemorate her father’s passing comes as no great surprise. In 2015, when she overtook Queen Victoria to be Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, she did not take part in any celebrations to avoid celebrating the death of a relative.

The Queen’s former Press Secretary, Dickie Arbiter, said: “She has always made it clear that her long reign is a consequence of her father’s early death, and so it is not a day for celebration.”