Category: Parliament

Kirsty Blackman – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Kirsty Blackman, the SNP MP for Aberdeen North, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

Thank you very much, Madam Deputy Speaker, for affording me the opportunity to pay tribute on behalf of my constituents on this sad day.

Aberdeen has had a long association with, and fondness for, the royal family. Beautiful granite statues of former monarchs can be found watching over many parts of our city. People across Aberdeen are feeling a profound sense of loss today. In 1964, Aberdeen suffered one of our darkest hours. A typhoid outbreak in the city hospitalised 500 people and led to three fatalities. Dr Ian MacQueen, our chief medical officer, described Aberdeen as a “sort of beleaguered city”. Our reputation as a centre for tourism was badly damaged. Hearing of our local issues, and at very short notice, Queen Elizabeth diverted a planned journey to Glasgow in order to visit Aberdeen. This thoughtful gesture, which expressed the Queen’s confidence in the safety of visiting Aberdeen, has been long remembered by our city.

Throughout the years, Her Majesty has retained a relationship with our city. In 1970, she visited the VSA —Voluntary Service Aberdeen—children’s centre in Aberdeen’s Hardgate. The Association of Social Services, VSA, has been honoured to secure the patronage of every monarch during its 150-year history, from its founding patronage of Queen Victoria in 1870.

In 1990, Queen Elizabeth II opened the Bon Accord centre in Aberdeen. The people of Aberdeen love to turn out for a public event and this one was no different, with crowds thronging to try and catch a glimpse of her. Even Aberdonians who were not present on that day will almost certainly have walked past the commemorative plaque that she unveiled.

In 2017, the Queen again visited Aberdeen to open the Robertson family roof garden at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Like so many of my constituents, I have had occasion to seek solace in the roof garden while a loved one was in hospital. We very much appreciate that she came along to open that garden.

I want also to mention Her Majesty the Queen’s long involvement with the Girlguiding movement. In 1953, she became the Girl Guides’ patron and remained a stalwart supporter for all her years. She first joined the guides aged 11, taking part in camping trips and earning badges for swimming. Over the years, thousands of girls and young women across the UK and overseas have worked hard to achieve the highest award in guiding: the Queen’s Guide award.

I send my personal condolences to the Queen’s family. In 2011, my great-granny passed away—also well into her 90s. I well remember the devastation and sense of shock that we all felt. She had been there for so long that we had begun to think that she would be a constant presence in our lives and there would never be a day that we would be without her. I can therefore feel an echo of what the generations of the royal family who follow her must be feeling today, and I send out my heartfelt best wishes to them at this time for getting through this difficult moment.

From the people of Aberdeen North, I thank Queen Elizabeth for her lifetime of service.

September 10, 2022
Peter Aldous – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Peter Aldous, the Conservative MP for Waveney, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise on behalf of the people of Waveney to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen.

With the nation’s guiding light taken from us, there was last night for a moment, from my perspective, a sense of helplessness. What do we do? How are we going to get on without her? The answer is that we learn from the high standards of dignity, duty and humility to which she adhered throughout both her life and her 70-year reign. We shall always fall short of the summit that she reached, but if we get to her foothills, we will have succeeded. Great Britain and the Commonwealth have faced numerous challenges over the past 70 years, and the world has changed a great deal. She was our shield to any arrows of adversity, and despite the enormous responsibilities that she bore on our behalf, she never, never put a foot wrong.

Her Majesty was a family person, and in some respects we were all part of her wider family. She enjoyed those aspects of life that we all enjoy—animals and pets, whether corgis, ponies and horses, or racing pigeons; family meals, whether that be barbecues, picnics or Christmas dinners.

As we have heard, Her Majesty had a lifelong passion for horse racing. Back in coronation week in 1953, her horse Aureole ran second in the Derby, the nearest she ever got to securing that cherished prize. One might have expected a hint of disappointment, but there was none. She joined the rest of the nation in celebrating the victory of national icon Sir Gordon Richards in his 28th and final attempt to win the race for the first time. An aureole, Madam Deputy Speaker, is a radiant light around a head or body. Our aureole has been extinguished, but her legacy will endure forever.

The Queen ascended the throne as we emerged from the ravages of the second world war. As she departs, we face more adversity and an uncertain and worrying immediate future. If we strive to conduct ourselves as she did, if we apply a mere modicum of her wisdom and sound judgment, then we will get through it. Your Majesty, on behalf of the people of Waveney, thank you for all that you have done for us. Our deepest condolences to all of your family. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Mike Amesbury – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute given by Mike Amesbury, the Labour MP for Weaver Vale, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of my constituents in Weaver Vale, I pay tribute in this period of mourning to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her remarkable and constant presence was signified by duty, public service and selflessness. That is a lesson for each and every one of us in this Chamber and beyond. Those 70 years of public service, commemorated by her platinum jubilee, have touched every part of our communities, the nation, the Commonwealth and the globe. They gave a sense of permanence, stability and constitutional leadership, with neutrality towards this political sphere.

Queen Elizabeth II was a reassuring constant, as right hon. and hon. Members have said, and that was an enduring feature in times of transition and of war. She was also a figurehead in times of celebration, including when the Runcorn shopping city centre was opened in my constituency in 1972, and I remember the commemorative mug and 50p coin that I received, as well as the fun street parties, to mark the silver jubilee in 1972. As an 11-year-old boy, I really appreciated that, and I still do to this day. More recently, her reassuring compassion was evident in the dark times of the covid pandemic.

We now enter another historical transition, while we mourn the loss of the late Queen Elizabeth II. I and my constituents send our deepest sympathies to King Charles III and the royal family. God bless them all. May the late Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace.

September 10, 2022
Shailesh Vara – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Shailesh Vara, the Conservative MP for North West Cambridgeshire, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise on behalf of myself and my constituents in North West Cambridgeshire to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen.

It is fair to say that all of us in this Chamber have had Her Majesty as part of our lives, and I mean that quite literally. She demonstrated an extraordinary sense of duty and commitment to public service. Her Majesty has left an imprint not only on our country and the Commonwealth, but across the world. She holds the world record for being featured on the most global currencies, and her passing is being marked across the world. For example, in India they will have a national day of mourning this Sunday.

As well as being our Queen, she was, of course, a global figure with a global understanding. This was summed up when she spoke at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2007, when she said:

“Recognising that each one of us is made up of layer upon layer of identity and that each of our unique personalities has ties to culture, religion, community, country and beyond, is the essence of open and tolerant communities.”

Like many others, I was very fortunate to meet Her Majesty on a number of occasions. The last time was on 8 July at Windsor castle, when I was sworn into the Privy Council before receiving the seals of office for Northern Ireland. I will treasure her wonderful smile to me as I shook her hand and as I took the oath of allegiance holding the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu book used on such occasions. After the ceremony, I was allowed to keep the copy on which I had taken the oath. The occasion is all the more special for me because, while there was subsequently a virtual swearing into the Privy Council, I was the last person to be sworn personally by Her Majesty into the Privy Council.

It is extraordinary that so many global leaders confess in their biographies that on meeting Her Majesty, they were so nervous, and then they add that she very quickly put them at their ease, often with a joke. We will miss her.

I conclude by saying that my prayers and thoughts are very much with the royal family at this difficult time, and particularly with King Charles as he takes on his enormous responsibilities. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Christine Jardine – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute given by Christine Jardine, the Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is with a very sad sense of pride that I rise to speak on behalf of my constituents in Edinburgh West, many of whom have already visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse to lay flowers and pay their respects to Her Majesty in Edinburgh, a city she loved. She was at one of my very first events as an MP when she opened our magnificent Queensferry crossing. Most recently, she was celebrated at jubilee parties across the city.

I confess that my first thought when I heard the confirmation on Thursday that we had lost the Queen was of family—first, her family of course, but then my own family. When, as a child, I went to my first sighting of the Queen at the launch of a ship on Clydeside, I remember my grandmother telling me how wonderful the Queen was. She tried to explain to me about the war, the spirit and what the family had meant, and I thought I understood what she was saying. I thought I got it, until the night in 2020 when the Queen spoke to us at the darkest moment of the pandemic. She gave us hope; she told us we would meet again. It was not just that she empathised with our situation, but that she shared it.

I realise now that perhaps the reason why the Queen held such a special place in our hearts was that she shared our memories, our thoughts and our pain. She was also a link back to the loved ones we have lost, in that she had shared in the difficult times that they went through. Today, the speeches, reminiscences and memories we have heard in this place have all been very moving. They have all had a touch of gratitude and thankfulness for the fact that we have been part of those 70 years of her reign, and a heartbreaking recognition that that era has come to an end.

I think Her late Majesty would have been extremely proud to see our new King devote himself to the service of this country in the way that she did. While we might find this parting very sorrowful, and indeed heartbreaking, we now know that there is a future. Although our country will change—we will not have the constant figure we have had for 70 years—the transition will be smooth, there will be a future and it will be good. While we thank Her Majesty and wish that she rest in peace, we know that our future is secure. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Craig Mackinlay – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute given by Craig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP for South Thanet, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is a true honour to be here at this time in our nation’s history and to be able to speak about my sorrow and the great grief of my constituents in South Thanet. Yesterday was a day that we all knew would come, but we all hoped that it never would. We were all trusting that the huge longevity of the Queen Mother, who died at 101, would give us more years of the Queen in her place, giving us certainty and calm through her powerful and steady service to our country, her realms overseas and the Commonwealth.

As yesterday developed—it was a day that I will never forget—from mid-afternoon I felt a deep sadness, and as the official announcement came out at about half-past 6, my emotion was overflowing. I asked myself why. Why did I have this emotion, this love, for a 96-year-old whom I had never met and who died peacefully after a life well lived in a home that she loved, surrounded by family? Few in this House would have met her properly, apart from Prime Ministers. Most interactions would have been brief and fleeting—they are moments that everybody cherishes—with that most remarkable lady. I was saddened because she had been ingrained in my life, and in all of our lives. She was that true and reliable person that the country had grown to rely on for all of our lives. We grew up looking every day at banknotes, coins and stamps with that image, which was replicated literally hundreds of billions of times in this country, in her overseas realms and across the Commonwealth. We knew her on a daily basis.

Across those 70 years, this remarkable woman saw new nations form. She saw empires collapse. She saw Governments here and abroad come and go, and she met most of the characters involved. We looked to her at this nation’s times of great crisis and great joy. Consider this: the first Prime Minister whom the Queen called on to form a Government was Winston Churchill, who was born in 1874, and her last Prime Minister—our current Prime Minister—was born in 1975. That spans a period of more than 100 years, which is quite staggering. She was on the throne for close to 30% of the entire time for which the United States has been in existence. The changes that she lived through were staggering, and yet she adapted seamlessly to each and every one.

The Queen was the rock that we thought would stand forever—she was our Head of State, Queen in many other realms and dominions, and Head of the Commonwealth—but she was more than that. I feel she was the true matriarch of the world, and I think we are seeing that in the grief and the tributes from across virtually every country in the world today. There is no part of this United Kingdom and no constituency that she did not touch with either a visit or a patronage, and in my patch of South Thanet people still talk about that visit to Ramsgate in 1993 and Margate in 2011.

It is at times like this that we see our constitution in play. All roads of that continuity—the community, Government, our armed services, our police and justice—led to her, and now we see a smooth transfer of the Crown to her dear son. She managed to keep the magic and mystery of monarchy, while we in this country and everybody around the world took her into our hearts. In our dear Majesty’s words after 9/11:

“Grief is the price we pay for love.”

We grieve now, and we look to a new era under Charles III. Rest in peace, Your Majesty. Thank you for your service, and God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Rosie Duffield – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP for Canterbury, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

We have heard so many incredibly moving and unforgettable speeches today about Her late Majesty, and we will certainly hear many more. It is impossible to pay full tribute to 70 years of continuous public service in just a few minutes, so I wish to focus briefly on Canterbury, the heart of the Church of England. We have had the honour of welcoming Her Majesty to Canterbury Cathedral on numerous occasions in her role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. She was well represented on all occasions by her lord lieutenant of Kent.

It is in that light that I share the tribute paid by Justin, Archbishop of Canterbury, who said:

“Through times of war and hardship, through seasons of upheaval and change, and through moments of joy and celebration, we have been sustained by Her late Majesty’s faith in what and who we are called to be.”

In March 2015, Her late Majesty the Queen visited the cathedral accompanied by her husband to unveil statues of them both. Although the memories of Her late Majesty will live on in the hearts and minds of all of us, it is those physical tributes that will retain her legacy for generations to come. No matter one’s political persuasion, occupation or way of life, she commanded respect from people of all backgrounds and was an inspiration to women the world over. She focused on the good things in life, and the characteristics and experiences that unite us, as well as the issues that need to be tackled in a collegiate fashion. Some of us can relate well to the apparent rebellious streak we saw when she left the palace and walked among the crowds with her sister, or drove herself around in her Land Rover.

That humour and wit that allowed us to relate to the greatest diplomat in our recent history, and the stability that allowed us as a country to have certainty at times when it was desperately needed—the remarkable thing about Her late Majesty was that that was never a burden to her. Her tremendous experience allowed her to guide the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world through tough times. Her dutiful actions and the messages that she conveyed to us have undoubtedly made the world a much better place. Rest in peace, your Majesty. The nation will never forget our favourite grandma. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Danny Kruger – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Danny Kruger, the Conservative MP for Devizes, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is an honour to follow such an inspiring speech by the hon. Member for Islwyn (Chris Evans). I speak on my behalf and that of my constituents in Devizes, particularly the many members—serving and former—of Her Majesty’s armed forces, who have served under her colours and sworn their oath to her.

President de Gaulle said that he had

“a certain idea of France”.

We have no need for such abstractions. We do not need an idea of the United Kingdom; we have had, for 70 years, an actual person who represented the best of our country and its character. Others have spoken of the character of the late Queen and, not knowing her, I cannot add anything to that. Those primary school visits are an absolute agony for me—I go from one classroom to another disappointing the children because I have not met the Queen. However, I want to talk briefly about what she stood for.

Philip Larkin’s poem has been quoted often today, with its perfect line, “She did not change”—she did not change, even as we did. As we heard, she presided over the most extraordinary period of change, yet she was emphatically not a relic of the past. We loved and valued her because she was a conduit of something precious, from the present to the future.

The hon. Member for Birmingham, Yardley (Jess Phillips) said that we could find what we want in the Queen, whether we are a modernist or a traditionalist. We find both in her, of course. That is the real value of tradition, and not because it fossilises the past. A real traditionalist, as someone said, is someone who tends the flame of their culture, not someone who worships its ashes. Those of us with conservative instincts need to remember that.

The Queen was a great futurist, as was the Duke of Edinburgh. As my hon. Friend the Member for South West Devon (Sir Gary Streeter) said—others have made the same point—if modern Britain was founded on the rock of Queen Elizabeth, that is because her life was founded on the rock of ages, on her Christian faith. I read today that as the country became more secular in recent decades, she became more publicly religious. It is worth noting that while she dedicated her long life to the service of the people, she held herself accountable not to us, but to a higher power. This was the source of her joy and her goodness.

My sympathy goes to her family, her friends and her household in their grief, and I give my thanks to her. She is doing in death what she did in life: bringing us together, making us smile, reminding us of the things that really matter, and making us proud of our country and grateful for her example and her service. May she rest in peace.

September 10, 2022
Chris Evans – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Chris Evans, the Labour MP for Islwyn, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

In a world that is often confusing and unsettled, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II charted a course through stormy weather not simply as the mother of our nation but as the keeper of the flame. In the darkest of times when hope was seemingly lost, she cut a reassuring figure.

In 1966, when a landslide smashed into Pantglas Junior School in Aberfan, killing 116 children and 28 adults, she visited the village and openly wept, for she, too, was a young mother. Fifty-one years later, in 2017, after a terror attack in Manchester at an Ariana Grande concert, the Queen provided comfort to the survivors and families by visiting them all in hospital. During lockdown, when many of us were missing our loved ones, she moved the nation to tears with a simple message: “We will meet again.” In doing so, she gave us all hope that in the end it was all going to be alright. All of us want to be reassured that whatever we are doing, whatever we feel, whatever we are going through, it is going to be alright in the end. But now, with her passing, it feels as though it will be a long time before it is alright again.

Historians often cite powerful monarchs such as Henry VIII, who ruled the country with an iron fist, his father Henry VII who took the Crown on the battlefield, or his daughter Elizabeth I, who saw off the most powerful navy ever assembled in the form of the Spanish armada. Our Queen simply gave her heart to this nation for 70 years, proving beyond doubt that love is a far more powerful weapon than any used in any war. Her passing is another loss to the generation who lived through the depression of the 1930s, saw the rise of fascism in Europe, knew the horrors and hardships of war and then, without complaint, rolled up their sleeves and got to work rebuilding this bomb-damaged country. The work of the Queen and millions like her during those years means that we can enjoy the freedoms that we do today.

When we came together to celebrate the Queen’s 70th jubilee in June, we all knew, in our heart of hearts, that her long reign was drawing to a close, but we all hoped that we would have a few more years of that glorious smile of hers. There were those of us who thought, somewhat irrationally, that she really was immortal, and for as long as the Queen was in our world, everything was going to be all right. Now she belongs to the ages.

In times of sadness, I have always found great comfort in the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote in the poem “Ulysses”:

“We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

As the Elizabethan era draws to a close, let those words guide us and our new monarch, King Charles III, in all the hard days ahead. As we grieve as a nation, let us celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II and draw comfort in the knowledge that she is safe in the hands of almighty God. God save the King, and God bless the new Prince and Princess of Wales.

September 10, 2022
Duncan Baker – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Duncan Baker, the Conservative MP for North Norfolk, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of my constituents in North Norfolk, I rise to pay our respects after the 70 year reign of our sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. We have been asked not to repeat stories that have been told by other Members, but I think I am on fairly safe ground talking about carrots, coconuts and Her Majesty all in the same speech.

Of course, Norfolk has very special and enduring memories of Her Majesty, thanks to Sandringham, which is located just outside my constituency to the west of the county, in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (James Wild). Although I never met the Queen myself, I want to share a simple story involving Sandringham and Her Majesty. It is one that I was involved in many years ago. It provides, I think, a wonderful insight into her personal character and a touching human story of a remarkable and wonderful lady behind the scenes.

As many back home know, my family business was run from Holt, famed for many royal visitors across the years. We ran the town supermarket. We were supplied with vegetables by a company that very proudly had a royal crest for doing so. This story involves Christmas and why our supplier was late one year with the Christmas vegetable delivery.

One can imagine the scene: the good burghers of my constituency lined up to get their carrots, coconuts and brussels sprouts, all looking a little bit frantic on Christmas eve morning when the vegetable delivery failed to turn up. When it eventually did turn up, a rather stressed delivery driver, who was also the owner, relayed at length how tired he was because he had personally been up all night scrubbing the Queen’s vegetables, ready for the royal household delivery. However, he had made one huge mistake: he had forgotten the Queen’s very special order and had had to turn around to go back and get it himself.

As a little upstart, I of course had to know what the special delivery was. He said, “Every year, the Queen asks us to put on the side 10 carrots and two coconuts halved, drilled and hung with some string.” I looked rather quizzical at that and wondered how the royal family would share two coconuts around the table for their Christmas lunch and eat them with a piece of string with the husks still around them. I was told that what the Queen liked to do on the cold crisp morning of Christmas day itself was step out from her bedroom into her private garden to hang the coconuts on a tree. She would then retire to her bedroom and watch the birds eat the coconuts.

I said, “What about the carrots?” “Ah yes,” he said, “they have to be a particular size and absolutely cylindrical so that they fit into the Queen’s jacket.” What, I thought, is going on with that? He said, “They are her special treat for the royal ponies. Every single Christmas morning it is her tradition to feed them the carrots.” So, there was this man from Norfolk, up all night scrubbing the Queen’s carrots when, little did he know, they were for the royal ponies. That story shows the human, touching and loving side to the Queen, who loved not only her family and her nation, but her animals.

Her Majesty the Queen dedicated her life to the service of others. She was an example to us all and will be remembered eternally. God save the King.

September 10, 2022