This year, Queen Elizabeth II is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee, with an array of events going on both locally and nationally to commemorate her achievements.

Actor and Writer, Henry Dawe of Uppingham has composed a poem for Her Majesty on behalf of the residents of Rutland. Click here for a foreword by Rutland's Lord-Lieutenant and Henry's own recital of the poem.

Alternatively, read the poem here:

'Our Gracious, Noble Queen'

It shimmers and it sparkles.                                                       

It glistens and it glows.  

That is the very splendour 

Which from your radiance flows.

So platinum becomes you.

It is precious and pristine,

With all the charm and lustre

Of our gracious, noble Queen.

.

Aged ten you knew your destiny                                                

Could never be your own.

Your little world changed overnight                                           

When Edward left the throne.

But you would not have said, 'Why me?'

You saw what it would mean

And thought ahead to your life as

Our gracious, noble Queen.

.

You are the face we can't forget.                                               

You are your family's Lilibet,                                                      

Our guide who leads us tirelessly,                                                          

Our raft upon a choppy sea.

You spend each day so selflessly

And serve us all devotedly.

.

Your Duke was always by your side        

Since on that morn the knot was tied.

You found your comfort, loyal and strong,

A true companion for so long.

It would have brought you joy if he

Had shared in this fine Jubilee.   

.                         

You have such a sense of faith 

And duty in your soul.               

That is what has surely 

Kept you steadfast in the role.

You've not wavered once 

Despite the troubles and the fears

And, although occasionally

Of course there have been tears,

Your reign has been so happy 

And so glorious to behold

And, as you look back on it all 

At 96 years old,

We know how fortunate we feel 

That you, of such renown,

Shine on still as the brightest jewel 

In England's ancient crown.

Our tribute comes with our love, Ma'am,

From Rutland's rustic county.

We mark, in 2022, 

Your Majesty's rich bounty,

Your gift for decades now bestowed

Upon our thankful nation,

As bells ring out and all around

We join in celebration.

To our minds we'll keep you close,

Our Sovereign so serene,

And in our hearts we'll hold you dear,

Our gracious, noble Queen.

.

Henry said: "It has been a tremendous honour to produce this poem as we mark an extraordinary milestone. I am very grateful to Dr Sarah Furness, Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland, for endorsing the poem as an official Platinum Jubilee gift from the county to The Queen.

"My three collaborators given at the end of the video also deserve thanks. I very much hope that people in Rutland and further afield will enjoy the poem and that Her Majesty will be pleased by the county's offering. It is one of a number of ways in which the Platinum Jubilee is being marked here, along with tributes such as beacon lighting and tree planting."

 Find out about other events going on around the jubilee here. Alternatively, share your own events by clicking the 'Nub It' button at the top of the What's On page.