Speaking ahead of Sunday's anniversary, Dr Bruce said, "As a relatively newly married mother of two, the 25-year-old Princess succeeded her father, King George VI, 70 years ago tomorrow. The weight of responsibility that fell upon her at that moment, mixed with the personal and private grief so publically borne, would have been for many too much to bear. For the Queen I am sure those days are as fresh in the memory as if it was yesterday.
"Today, few can remember a time when Her Majesty was not a part of the very fabric of the United Kingdom’s national life, or a recognisable presence on the world stage. As the Queen quietly marks the 70th anniversary of her reign tomorrow at Sandringham, I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to her sense of duty, commitment, and unwavering devotion to public service, something the passage of time certainly has not diminished. These qualities have, I believe, been sustained by her deep personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," Dr Bruce said.
"In a letter to Her Majesty I acknowledged that sense of duty, and indeed, her commitment to peacebuilding on this island, and let her know that across the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, she is remembered by many in our prayers."