Throughout her life, Queen Elizabeth II personified duty: to her family, to her country, and to the world. From an unimaginably young age, she united the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, holding together societies that faced immense and rapid changes. As a frequent visitor to London over the past four decades, I have seen the respect she commanded from the British people. I was honored to celebrate her extraordinary 70-year reign during the Platinum Jubilee in June, and to support the Queen’s Green Canopy and other cultural and charitable causes that were so important to her. Her 2010 visit to New York City to dedicate a Lower Manhattan garden to the Commonwealth victims of the 9/11 attacks was a special moment for our city, and receiving an honorary knighthood from her was a moment that I will always remember with great appreciation for the deep ties that bind our countries together. I join the people of the U.K. and all of its friends in honoring her life.