Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue
"For 70 years, Her Majesty was a beacon of continuity and a perfect example of someone who lived by a clearly defined set of values. We hear so much about the end of an era, but Her Majesty’s passing, after so many decades of dedicated service, is undoubtedly that. I might have left England for America years and years ago, but the admiration and respect I felt for her has never diminished. I’m not alone in that regard: the queen touched everyone, wherever they were in the world, maybe because despite her sense of absolute adherence and devotion to the role, who she was as a woman always shone through; her smile and her keen interest in others never failed her. I experienced that first hand when I sat with her at designer Richard Quinn’s show, just before she presented him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. She was so delighted to be there, telling me how she had appeared in a fashion show long before she became queen. She said it with joy and humour that bounded around the room, lighting it up: An everyday occurrence for Her Majesty, an unforgettable one for the rest of us."