Queen Elizabeth II: Monarch 'kept her Girl Guide promise every day'

Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret became Guides and Brownies respectively in 1937, and a year later attended a rally at Windsor Castle

The Queen's life has embodied the spirit of Girlguiding, a leader of the Staffordshire county group has said.

Princess Elizabeth joined up as a Guide in 1937, while her sister Princess Margaret became a Brownie.

Like thousands of girls today she made a promise, Claire Keen, Brown Owl of 1st Stockton Brook Brownies and Guides said.

"Every day she kept that promise she made back when she was 11," she said.

"She promised to do her best. She lived according to her beliefs. She served people.

"The Queen herself really embodied the spirit of guiding."

Ms Keen said thousands of girls, young women and adult volunteers across the county had made the same promise.

She said it was "particularly humbling at the moment to know we've got that shared commitment".

'Extraordinary devotion'

The Queen also became patron of Girlguiding in 1953, the year of her coronation.

In a statement, Girlguiding paid tribute to the Queen's "extraordinary devotion to public and voluntary service".

A commemorative badge is also expected to be introduced to mark her life.

Ms Keen said it would be for individual guiding units to decide how best to remember the life of the Queen, and activities would very much be girl-led.

However, she added the movement had teamed up with Child Bereavement UK to produce a number of activities that units could do together.

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