During the darkest days of , when London was under relentless attack, one of the most poignant moments of this era was the bombing of . What followed was the Queen Mother's famous words, shortly after she and had a lucky escape.

On September 13, 1940, , with cylindrical explosive bombs known as SC50s. King George VI was sitting in a small room overlooking a quadrangle with his wife, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, when he was notified that an attack was imminent and they should head to the air raid shelter.

Although they narrowly escaped injury, the attack had a symbolic impact. The Queen Mother said in a shocking five-word response: "I'm glad we've been bombed." She further added: "It makes me feel I can look the East End in the face."

The Queen Mother's comment reflected her sense of shared suffering with the people and her commitment to stand beside them in their time of need.

To this day, her words after the bombing of remain a powerful reminder of leadership through empathy.

, as penned: "Had the windows been closed instead of open, the whole of the glass would have splintered into the faces of the King and Queen, causing terrible injuries."

Luckily, their daughters, 14-year-old Princess Elizabeth and 10-year-old Princess Margaret, remained safe at Windsor Castle during the air raid.

Six bombs landed on Buckingham Palace that day, making it the most successful direct bombing raid the Germans ever made on the royals.

"Whoever planned the assault had been assisted by a traitor who wished for the deaths of the Royal Family and all those around them," historian Alexander Larman wrote in his book The Windsors At War.

An extract from the diaries of from the 13th September, His Majesty's personal account of the attack reads: "All of a sudden we heard an aircraft making a zooming noise above us, saw 2 bombs falling past the opposite side of the Palace, & then heard 2 resounding crashes as the bombs fell in the quadrangle about 30 yds away. We looked at each other, & then we were out into the passage as fast as we could get there. The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds....

"...6 bombs had been dropped. The aircraft was seem coming straight down the Mall below the clouds having dived through the clouds & had dropped 2 bombs in the forecourt, 2 in the quadrangle, 1 in the Chapel & the other in the garden."

During , London that changed the landscape of the city forever. From the East End to the West End, no district was spared the terror of the Blitz.

Instead of dampening the spirit of the monarchy, the attack solidified King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's determination to stay in London and share the risks and hardships faced by their subjects.