Queen Elizabeth and Leonard Cheshire at the opening of a home for people with disabilities in 1987.
The Ryder-Cheshire Foundation in New Zealand mourn with the world the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth was good friends with our co-founder Leonard Cheshire and supported his endeavours throughout the world.
Leonard Cheshire was one of the RAF’s most highly decorated pilots, whose service in World War II earned him the Victoria Cross.
After the war, Leonard set up several charities including Leonard Cheshire, a charity that helps disabled people to live independent lives.
From 1969 the Queen donated funds to Leonard’s UK charity yearly and assisted in raising funds. She became patron in 1980 and during her reign she visited Leonard Cheshire projects throughout the Commonwealth.
Following his death in 1992, the Queen made a point of mentioning Leonard in her Christmas message. She said: “This shining example of what a human being can achieve in a lifetime of dedication can inspire in the rest of us a belief in our own capacity to help others.”
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an inspirational, caring, and dedicated leader and she will be greatly missed.