King Charles III honours 'darling Mama' Queen Elizabeth II on 100th birthday

King Charles III has commemorated his "darling Mama" Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 100th birthday.

The British monarch remembered his late mother's life of public service in a personal video released by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.

"Today, as we mark what would have been my beloved mother's 100th birthday, my family and I pause to reflect on the life and loss of a sovereign who meant so much to us all and to celebrate anew the many blessings of her memory," the 77-year-old began.

"Her near century was one of remarkable change, and yet, through each passing decade, through every transformation, she remained constant, steadfast and wholly devoted to the people she served."

Charles, the eldest of the late Queen's four children, noted that the world we live in may have "troubled her deeply", but he remembered that she believed "goodness will always prevail and that a brighter dawn is never far from the horizon".

"For, as a young Princess Elizabeth put it in her first-ever public broadcast, aged just 14, we can each play our part 'to make the world of tomorrow a better and happier place'. It is a belief which I share with all my heart," he said.

Charles then called for the Queen's 100th birthday to be seen as "a celebration of a life well-lived" instead of a milestone "felt by absence".

He continued, "And a legacy of hope as we strive together towards a 'better, happier tomorrow' - one rooted in peace, justice, prosperity and security."

"In this, I renew my own solemn pledge of duty and service to you all," he concluded. "God bless you, darling Mama; you remain forever in our hearts and prayers."

Charles recorded the video earlier this month at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where his late mother died in September 2022 at the age of 96. She reigned for more than 70 years, the longest of any British monarch.

To mark her centenary, Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, will be shown the final designs for a statue memorial of the late Queen, which will be erected at St James's Park in London. Meanwhile, his sister, Anne, Princess Royal, will open The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in Regent's Park in the capital.

This evening, members of the royal family will gather at Buckingham Palace for a reception to celebrate the occasion.