“For me, heaven is likely to be a bit of a come-down.”

The world is not the most pleasant place. Eventually, your parents leave you and nobody is going to go out of their way to protect you unconditionally.

I have behind me not only the splendid traditions and the annals of more than a thousand years but the living strength and majesty of the Commonwealth and Empire; of societies old and new; of lands and races different in history and origins but all, by God’s Will, united in spirit and in aim.

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.

I should like to be a horse.

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.

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.

You need to learn to stand up for yourself and what you believe and sometimes, pardon my language, kick some ass.

Football’s a difficult business and aren’t they prima donnas. But it’s a wonderful game.

For Christians, as for all people of faith, reflection, meditation and prayer help us to renew ourselves in God’s love, as we strive daily to become better people.

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 Christmas message shows us that this love is for everyone. There is no one beyond its reach.

True patriotism doesn’t exclude an understanding of the patriotism of others.

Family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organisation or nation.

Grief is the price we pay for love.

Cowards falter, but danger is often overcome by those who nobly dare.

I cannot lead you into battle. I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else.

I can draw really well. And I like to paint. I’m a bit of an artist.

The German word ‘will’ is the English word ‘want,’ so that’s a little bit of the problem.

When I went into the last lap I was regretting a bit that it was over. I was enjoying again the first sector for the last time.

I would walk off a course. I think I lost a little bit of respect, but hopefully I’ve gained that back.

The context has to come from the human first, rather than bits and pieces of fragments of old religion and all of the old moral superstructure, whatever it used to be.

Donald Trump – and I don’t dislike Donald one single bit – has no idea how good the Mexican people are at building tunnels.

Sure, I can get a little bit jealous. The good part about jealousy is that it comes from passion. It’s also the dangerous part and it’s an ugly emotion that hurts.

Ultimately I’m the writer for me, but also, anytime one of my friends gets stuck with a bit, they can call me, and I’m pretty good at helping them get there.