Espionage and the Secret Life of Queen Elizabeth II

There was another, top secret side to Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, only hints of which have come into public view

Today was the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. Her recent passing at the age of 96 has been a global media sensation. No matter your feelings about her, the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, after seven decades on the throne, has been a world-historic event. Queen Elizabeth II was in many ways the last monarch of the old school. She was the last world leader to have served in the Second World War: in her case, as a teenaged volunteer driver/mechanic with the Auxiliary Territorial Service of the British Army. We will not see her likes again. All monarchists (including this one) wish the best to King Charles III, who has enormous shoes to fill.

Accolades and tributes have flowed in from around the world (along with de rigueur Woke rants on social media), emphasizing the late queen’s numerous qualities and accomplishments. Perhaps the most intriguing praise came from Richard Moore, who tweeted his esteem for the newly deceased. Moore, while hardly a household name in Britain, holds the important position of chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, popularly known as MI6). That service is famous worldwide as the employer of the fictional yet unforgettable 007, better known as James Bond.

Moore signed his condolence note ‘C’, which is the traditional moniker for the SIS chief, going back to the service’s birth in 1909. The first boss was a Royal Navy captain named Mansfield Smith-Cumming, who signed paperwork simply as ‘C’ and it stuck in that highly secretive organization. Until little more than a decade ago the identity of ‘C’ was not admitted by the British government (the existence of the service itself was not officially revealed until 1992); to this day, ‘C’ is the sole serving SIS officer whose identity is public stated. Moore’s note was elegant:

SIS mourns the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

On behalf of the officers of the Secret Intelligence Service, I offer my deepest sympathy and condolences to the Royal Family.

Her Majesty The Queen's long record of public service is unparalleled in our nation's history. She was a source of stability, good judgement and wisdom to the United Kingdom for seven decades, and shepherded us through the profoundest of global changes and challenges over that period. We owe a deep debt of gratitude for her unwavering devotion to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.