Statement from John Russell on the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Reflections on a servant life:

"I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service." 

ꟷ Spoken by then Princess Elizabeth in 1947 five years before ascension

RME joins with many around the world to mourn the passing of a much-admired monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We felt compelled to mark this significant moment in history by paying tribute to a remarkable servant life.

Servant leadership is important to RME, and it would be hard to find a finer demonstration of a servant leader than in the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II. She fulfilled her duty wholeheartedly, sincerely and with selfless unwavering dedication to country and family.

We saw evidence of her faith in hard times and humour in good times. Those who had the privilege of meeting her use words like wise, kind, measured, comforting and curious to describe her. Hallmarks of her steward leadership and matriarch of family, were faithfulness, impartiality and dignity – character traits that are difficult to master let alone maintain. There is much we can learn and take forward from her life.

As an engineer, I cannot help but marvel at some numbers from her life. Her reign of 70 years, 7 months and 2 days was the longest in British history and second-longest our world has known. During this time she gave assent to more than 4,000 Acts of Parliament and appointed no less than 15 British prime ministers, the last in her final hours. Buckingham Palace stated in 2016 she had travelled over 1,661,668 km to 117 nations, including 16 visits to Australia as our head of state. She was patron to 600 plus charities and associations which have no doubt influenced the lives of many.

In closing I refer to her own reflections on leadership in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in 2010:

"I know of no single formula for success, but over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal, and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm and their inspiration, to work together."

Vale Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 1926-2022.

John Russell
Founder, Executive Chairman and Managing Director
RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT