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Queen Elizabeth Releases Rare Personal Statement and Signs It ‘Elizabeth R’

Prince William and Kate Middleton recently attended the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument at Waterloo Station in London. The event took place on Windrush Day, which is a holiday that celebrates Caribbean immigrants arriving in the U.K. in 1948.

Queen Elizabeth decided to release a special message honoring the statue unveiling and made sure to sign the letter with her given name, proving that it came from her own hand. Yesterday, the monarch released a public statement on the royal family’s official Instagram account. The photo slideshow featured a snapshot of the queen’s statement and the new statue.

The queen further reiterated in the caption, “The monument symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK from 1948 to 1971 to help rebuild post-war Britain, and celebrates the outstanding contribution of the Windrush Generation to British history.”

Her Royal Highness made sure to sign the letter “Elizabeth R.” Elizabeth is her first name, while the R stands for Regina (which means “queen” in Latin). In case you didn’t know, Regina is not her given name—since she was given the name Elizabeth Alexandra Mary at birth. This signature can be found on official documents, which designates the authority of the sovereign. The king uses the same regal name, but instead uses Rex aka Latin for “king.” (Quite confusing, we know.)

During the event, William publicly addressed the Caribbean-British community following the controversy the couple faced on their Caribbean tour. The Duke of Cambridge gave a speech and shared that their past experience has prompted them to “learn” and “reflect.”

“This is something that resonated with Catherine and me after our visit to the Caribbean earlier this year,” he said, according to People. “Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learned so much. Not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present.”

Very well said, you two.

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