Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with her grandchildren

Queen Elizabeth II was a monarch and a mother, but the list of her special titles did not end there.

For the lucky group, she was affectionately known as Grandma. Grandmother to eight and great-grandmother to another 12, Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy extends far beyond the four children she welcomed with her late husband Prince Philip: Prince Charles, Princess Anna, Prince Andriy and Prince Edward. As the world mourns the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, who died on September 8 at the age of 96 after 70 years on the throne, the bond she shared with successive generations of her family has not gone unnoticed.

The tributes pouring in echo many of the comments her grandchildren have shared publicly about her over the years, including the future king Prince Williamwho had earlier hailed her courage for taking on the role of her life nearly seven decades ago.

“At the time, she was a woman in a man’s world who did what everyone thought…only a man could do. I think she’s really forged her own path in that sense and shown an incredible amount of courage to do the work and to step up to the plate.” William told Katie Couric in 2012. “She did not let herself or anyone down in this process. The work is so attentive that I think you have to be very, very careful how you set your path, but she did it brilliantly.’