[To a woman whose cellphone rang during a formal meeting:] You'd better answer that. It could be someone important.

I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.

They are not royal. They just happen to have me as their aunt.

The upward course of a nation's history is due in the long run to the soundness of heart of its average men and women

To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy. With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.

The lessons from the peace process are clear; whatever life throws at us, our individual responses will be all the stronger for working together and sharing the load.

We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection. With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock.