In the week when Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning monarch in history, one of the most-quoted speeches has been that made on her 21st birthday when she pledged that “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service…”.Less well known is that her words were penned by a brilliant Catholic journalist. Dermot Morrah, a leader writer at The Times and a speechwriter for King George VI, was asked by the king’s private secretary, Sir Alan Lascelles, to have a go at writing the landmark speech. Lascelles later wrote to Morrah to say it “has the trumpet-ring of the other Elizabeth’s speech, combined with the immortal simplicity of Victoria’s ‘I will be good’.”“The ladies concerned,” he sai