Former President Obama is paying tribute to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in a heartfelt video message for her Platinum Jubilee celebrating 70 years on the throne.
The former president spoke about his memories during his presidency in the video, which was broadcast by the BBC.
“When you are president of the United States you meet a lot of remarkable people and you try, under all circumstances, to maintain your composure. But that’s harder than you think when you are visiting her majesty,” Obama said to start off his remarks.
“Before I took office, Michelle and I hadn’t been to too many palaces, so we weren’t sure what to expect on our first trip to Buckingham. But we shouldn’t have been worried.”
“Her majesty put us at ease with her grace and generosity, so much so that I walked away thinking she actually reminded me a little bit of my grandmother and in the years since I would like to think her majesty and I have formed a special relationship of our own.”
The former president continued by saying that getting to know Elizabeth was “one of the great privileges of my years in office” and that he learned from her example.
“Your majesty, it would be an understatement to say the world has changed a bit in the seven decades since you first came to power, but your character never has. Your steadfast stewardship of one of our most important democracies has made the world safer and more prosperous through war and peace, times of adversity and times of prosperity,” Obama said.
“Your life has been a gift, not just to the United Kingdom, but to the world, and it is with gratitude for your leadership and the kindness that you’ve shown me and my family that I say may the light of your crown continue to reign supreme.”
The U.K. will mark Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee with four days of celebrations, which kicked off Thursday with the annual Trooping the Color demonstration to honor the monarch’s official birthday.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also put out a statement Thursday honoring the British queen, saying that her “70 years of service to the United Kingdom are an inspiration to Americans, who deeply admire the Queen and are grateful for her decades of friendship with the United States.”