On the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, Queen Elizabeth II made a special address to the nation. Throughout her reign, we learnt to look out for subtle messages during such broadcasts, be it a framed photo on her desk or even the brooches she pinned to her dress. This particular broadcast carried two significant messages on her desk: a framed photograph of her father, King George VI in wartime uniform and a khaki cap with a badge. The cap belonged to Subaltern Windsor of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The young Elizabeth had begged her father to let her join the war effort and she wanted to do it in uniform. Her cap took pride of place on the day of the broadcast as it was a simple reminder of what mattered most to her: service. The dedication to service was the golden thread that ran throughout her reign. As I was watching the rolling news following Elizabeth II’s death, a quote from Twelfth Night kept popping in my head: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them.” Elizabeth was not born to become queen, so she was not technically born to greatness. It was thrust upon her, the job, not greatness. She then...