Category: Parliament

Sarah Jones – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Sarah Jones, the Labour MP for Croydon Central, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise on behalf of my constituents to offer our condolences to the family of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and to offer our loyalty to the new King. Queen Elizabeth II, who reigned for 70 years, is the only sovereign most of us have ever known. She was our constant in a changing world, our cornerstone at times of crisis, and our comfort when in sorrow. My nanna was a big fan. My mum, who is 70 this year, remembers as a child being read books about the young princesses and looking at photos of them all the time. I think the war years made that generation feel particularly close to the young Queen.

The Queen was a friend to Croydon and visited many times in her reign. I remember precisely how exciting it was as a Brownie lining up with my flag to welcome her when she opened the Queen’s Gardens in the middle of my constituency—few things in my suburban childhood topped a visit from the Queen.

Of course, it is not just Croydon and this country who are mourning. The world is in sorrow. The front page of The New York Times this morning simply says, “Queen and Spirit of Britain”. Many of us find it hard to imagine Britain without her. It feels bleak, but then I think, what would she do? What did she do when her own father, King George VI, died? I know that she would stand tall, face the day, pray to her God and do the best job that she could—and as the King said this evening, she would fearlessly embrace progress. That is the spirit we all keep alive.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown—quite literally, as it turns out. The Queen was once heard to say that wearing a crown was like wearing a 10-lb salmon on her head, but she bore the weight well. Her service, her humility and her constancy are what we can all strive to achieve.

The Queen’s death comes at a time of real challenge for our country. If ever we needed to be more like her, it is now. Let one of her legacies be that we will all try to be a little more like her—service, steady progress, humility, constancy and some fun along the way. None of us will see another Queen in our lifetime, so we say “Thank you” to Her late Majesty, and God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Richard Drax – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I stand here most humbly at the heart of our democracy to represent my loyal constituency of South Dorset and my family and friends who do not have a chance such as this to say farewell and thank you to the Queen for more than 70 years of service. The rich contributions in the House today show how she has touched every single one of our lives—it is extraordinary. I will end the story about David Nott mentioned by the hon. Member for Tooting (Dr Allin-Khan) in her touching speech; I know David very well, and what she did not say is that the Queen rang him four months later and said, “Because of the difficulty we had last time, do come back and have lunch again,” and he did. That is the lady we are talking about.

One such friend is Admiral Woodard, the last admiral to serve on the royal yacht, who knew the Queen extremely well. Sadly, he lies very ill in hospital, but I know that both he and his devoted wife Rozzy would want me to tell the House just what a kind, remarkable and dutiful woman the Queen was and how she will be sorely missed.

None of us will forget what happens with momentous events or where we are. I was returning from Birmingham, where I had been with the Defence Committee for a meeting with Boeing. Like everyone in this House, from all the eloquent and excellent and speeches I have heard, and like millions across the world, I had an overwhelming feeling of loss. It was personal—we have heard that so many times tonight—and shockingly real.

I was fortunate enough to have the honour to serve the Queen for nine years in the Army, meeting her twice and participating in her unique birthday parade on two occasions. There was not a Guardsman who would not have followed the Queen to hell and back, had she ordered it, such was the affection they had for her.

On that note, I hope hon. Members will allow me to tell a very short story. As I returned to Wellington Barracks one morning, I looked into the company office, and the company clerk was sitting behind his typewriter. He was covered in bruises—it looked as though he had run into a brick wall at 90 mph. I said to him, “What on earth happened to you?” In a deadpan voice, he explained that he had taken his wife out to the pub, when three troublemakers entered. During the evening, those troublemakers picked a fight with the couple and began to insult his wife. I intervened and said, “I quite understand; I see what happened.” He said, “No, no, sir. You don’t understand. My wife and I could take that, but when they began to insult the Queen—that’s when I got stuck in.” I gave him the day off.

Of course, it was not just the military who adored Her Majesty. The outpouring of grief from every corner of the world is testament to the level of respect and affection in which she was held. The Queen has been an integral part of my life, and all our lives, for so long. She has been the linchpin of our county. Her devotion to duty and country has been so extraordinary that I suspect many of us have taken her for granted, and like so many things that we take for granted, it is not until we lose them that we fully, fully appreciate their value. As I drove up today in the car, I could not help thinking that her parting reminds us all to hold dear to those we love, and to keep saying that we love them. On behalf of my constituents, my family and my friends, I say: “Rest in peace, Your Majesty.” God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Allan Dorans – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Allan Dorans, the SNP MP for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is a privilege to have the opportunity to express my sincere personal sympathies and condolences and those of my constituents in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock on the death of Her late Majesty the Queen.

The late Queen will be remembered with great affection, especially for her service, duty, humility, humour and faith. Our thoughts and prayers are with King Charles III, the Queen Consort and the wider royal family at this sad time.

I met the late Queen in 1973 when, as a 17-year-old cadet in the Metropolitan Police, I was invited with others to attend a royal garden party in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Her late Majesty chose to speak with me, probably because I was in uniform; we all know how much she valued her uniformed services. Her royal presence, her smile and her gentleness left a lasting impression on me.

A few years later, when I was attested as a police constable, I took an oath of allegiance, which contained the words:

“I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people”.

Those words encapsulate for me many of the values, virtues and leadership qualities so clearly displayed by the Queen throughout a long and illustrious reign.

The oath also greatly influenced my service as a police officer, and I am sure many other generations of police officers, through the feeling that in every action I took I was somehow acting personally on behalf of the Queen for the betterment and benefit of our country. I am sure that everyone who has ever served as a member of our armed services will be able to relate closely to that sentiment, as will anyone who has proudly served in any capacity in the name of the Queen and all she stood for.

It is with both sadness and joy that we celebrate the unparalleled contribution the Queen made in her 70 years as sovereign, recognising her devotion to duty and the decades of public service she gave to the people of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world. There is a distinct and profound sense of loss on the death of the Queen throughout Scotland, to where she is bound by close ties of ancestry, affection and duty. Her late Majesty was descended from the royal house of Stuart on both sides of her family, and she has always held a special place in the hearts of the people of Scotland. I know she also held a similar affection for Scotland, its culture and its people.

The next few weeks are a time for reflection and remembrance and to give thanks to God for the life of an extraordinary individual, the like of whom we will never see again. Thank you, your Majesty, for your life of service; God bless you and may you rest in eternal peace.

September 10, 2022
Damian Hinds – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Damian Hinds, the Conservative MP for East Hampshire, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of my constituents in East Hampshire, I want to convey our sincere sympathies to the royal family and express our heartfelt thanks for the life of Her late Majesty.

My own first consciousness of the Queen, like that of many others of roughly my age who have spoken, was in 1977, although unlike others who have spoken, I was not actually in the same place as the Queen at the time. My consciousness was just through the street parties, the bunting, the mug—which by the way I still have—and, if people remember them, the little round badges that we got to sew on to our Cub uniforms. I did not yet quite know how, but for the first time I got that sense that as Britons we are especially blessed.

I could not possibly have known that, decades later, I would have that rare opportunity, as others have mentioned, to meet the Queen. It was the honour of my life to be admitted to the Privy Council, but most especially to be able to attend one of those lunches at Windsor castle, which have come up a few times today, and to have the opportunity to talk directly with our monarch about the subject that I was representing, which was education. I have to say that the level not only of her knowledge about current issues, but of her interest to discuss it further, was remarkable.

Speaking of education, I find when I visit primary schools in East Hampshire that there are actually three questions that are guaranteed from the kids. The first is, “What is your favourite colour?”, the second is, “What’s the Prime Minister like?”, and of course the third is, “Have you met the Queen?” I love that opportunity, because it is wonderful to talk to those children, the next generation, about her values, and I always take away a lot from it too.

We have heard some wonderful tributes today—some beautiful tributes, actually—to Her late Majesty, but I think probably the biggest tribute of all that any of us could pay, particularly those of us in this place, is to seek to learn from and to emulate her example: her selflessness; her steadfastness; her commitment above all to service; her readiness to forgive; her appreciation of every individual she met; and her valuing of custom and tradition, but equally her adaptability and openness to change.

Our constitutional monarchy is unique and special—I found myself last night trying to explain to my own children exactly why and how. This family, through no choice of their own, carry a great burden and the unity of nationhood, and a much, much wider world role. Of course, with her passing that role carries on. The Crown endures.

So we mourn our beloved Queen Elizabeth, and we celebrate, too, her life of service.

“Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord,

And let perpetual light shine upon her”.

And may the Lord bless and guide our sovereign King Charles. God save the King. Long may he reign.

September 10, 2022
Judith Cummins – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Judith Cummins, the Labour MP for Bradford South, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise to speak with great sadness to pay tribute on behalf of myself and my constituents to Her late Majesty the Queen, as our Head of State for 70 years, our longest-serving monarch, with an unrivalled sense of duty in serving her people. It is that great sense of dedication and devoted duty to her people for which she is loved, cherished and remembered.

Her late Majesty had a role in so many events that defined our lives, both as Head of State and as a symbol of the values that we hold so dear as a nation. Her late Majesty was more than our Queen; she was part of our everyday lives, visiting cities and towns across Britain, the Commonwealth and the world, including her five visits to Bradford. She was woven into the very fabric of our society.

In my constituency, the Queen will be remembered for representing the very best of Britain. She provided the glue that held the nation together through these difficult times, providing continuity and certainty to the nation, often through turbulent and changing times. A Queen for all people, regardless of faith or culture; the grandmother of a nation; a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother—a family and a nation mourn the passing of a much loved, admired and dedicated public servant who was our Queen. May she rest in peace. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Huw Merriman – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute given to Huw Merriman, the Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I rise at this sombre time to represent my constituents in East Sussex to send our condolences to the royal family for their deep loss of Her late Majesty the Queen. East Sussex is a county that Her Majesty visited many times. She helped to commemorate the 900th year since the Norman invasion, visiting Pevensey bay where William the Conqueror first landed and then going to Battle town, where the battle of Hastings took place.

For many, we are mourning not only a glorious reign of public service for the past 70 years, but the one constant who glued together our past and the present. That encapsulates the service of Her late Majesty. She represented the historic traditions of the past, but she also sought to champion and support the ideas of the future and of the generations to come. Perhaps I may use Her late Majesty’s link to transport in that regard.

There are many modes where she would be remembered, in land, air and sea, but I will go to the London underground. As a 13-year-old in 1939, the then Princess Elizabeth joined her sister Princess Margaret for her first trip on the London underground. The network’s staff magazine, Pennyfare, reported:

“Both Princesses were greatly interested in the escalators, automatic ticket-machines and automatic doors”.

Despite their status, the princesses sat in a third-class smoking carriage of the District line train.

Thirty years later, a further trip on the underground marked the opening of the Victoria line. There she operated the controls in the cab of the first train on that line, going from Green Park to Oxford Circus. Although the tube line was the first to be operated automatically, the Queen could be said to have been its very first driver.

The Queen took the controls at the front of the train on the opening of the Piccadilly line extension and the docklands light railway. Only this year, we remember her in those amazing photos as she operated an Oyster card at the opening of the Elizabeth line. She truly was an innovator and always interested in innovation.

Many in this Chamber and across the nation and the Commonwealth will not have met Her late Majesty. That matters not; what matters is that we all remember her and keep her as part of us, celebrating her duty to public service, her graciousness, her kindness and her devotion. We will not just keep that with us, but every day demonstrate it, and we will become better in her memory. May Her late Majesty rest in peace. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Rebecca Long-Bailey – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Rebecca Long-Bailey, the Labour MP for Salford and Eccles, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of my constituents in Salford and Eccles, it is an honour to pay tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to send our heartfelt condolences, love and prayers to her family, the royal household, all who loved her, and the nation, at this sad time. It is undeniable that she served us with unrelenting duty, dignity and kindness. Her dedication to uniting us all was a beacon of goodness throughout her long reign. She never failed to lift us up in the hard time and through the good time.

As we have heard tonight, on her 21st birthday, as a princess, she said:

“I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service”.

She never broke that promise, keeping her pledge with love and warmth for more than 75 years. She really was a shining example of the best of us. May she now rest in peace. We extend our love and support to His Majesty the King as he assumes his new office, in what can only be a period of profound pain. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
George Freeman – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by George Freeman, the Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

On behalf of the people of Mid Norfolk, I send our deepest condolences to all the royal family, Her late Majesty’s many friends and the royal household. I also echo the comments of the hon. Member for Oxford West and Abingdon (Layla Moran) in paying tribute to the King’s spine-tingling tribute to his mother that we heard a little earlier.

This news has stopped the country in its tracks. As many colleagues have said, whether we were lucky enough to have met Her Majesty or not, we all feel that we have lost our own, much-loved grandmother, but also something very precious—a part of us, a part of our nation. We stopped the clocks and the political debates out of profound respect for our longest serving monarch, who as Head of State on the throne has guided our nation through the most extraordinary 70 years, celebrated so sincerely by a grateful nation in the jubilee earlier this year; how wonderful that she had a chance to see that gratitude.

Our nation mourns a remarkable woman, who has become, quite simply, as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister put it, this nation’s rock. As mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and figurehead—not just of the royal family, but of all her subjects, regardless of faith, race or any other creed across this great nation—through tumultuous times she has been a shining beacon of dedication to duty, office, public service and nationhood, the exemplary spirit and embodiment of the very best of the United Kingdom, and a unifying sea anchor stabilising our ship of state in often turbulent seas. She was always cheered, as today, by mass crowds wherever she travelled, and nowhere more than in her beloved royal county of Norfolk, where, through her home at Sandringham, she and her family have always been held proudly in very close affection and esteem, not least by the many serving and former members of the armed forces in our county and our country. It has been the privilege of my life to represent that county in her Parliaments and to serve as a Minister of the Crown under her last three Prime Ministers.

Who among us will forget her 2012 jubilee address to both Houses assembled in Westminster Hall? Addressing, as she was, six former Prime Ministers on the front row, she said that she had had the privilege of having been served by 12 Prime Ministers, and added over the top of her glasses, with a wry chuckle, “And doubtless there will be many more to come.” Perhaps she could see the next decade coming.

The many eloquent tributes, in particular from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friends the Members for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) and for Maidenhead (Mrs May), the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) and the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman), have highlighted the many virtues and legacies of our dear late Queen Elizabeth—indeed, the Great. I will not repeat them.

I want to highlight three very particular legacies that are close to my heart and the hearts of my constituents. The first is children: the Queen understood and believed deeply that all of us in public office have a special duty to the children who are our future. They cannot vote or make their case in this Chamber; they need us to speak for them. As she famously said, children

“teach us all a lesson—just as the Christmas story does—that in the birth of a child, there is a new dawn with endless potential.”

Her duty to the cause of children around the country is legendary.

The second legacy I will mention is horses, hounds and the countryside. As a countryman and MP for a rural constituency, I thank Her Majesty, as well as her son and her grandsons, for always championing our rural heritage and way of life. From her love of the wilds of her native Scotland, to the high seas, the skies of Norfolk and especially her time with her beloved horses and hounds, she was indeed the monarch of the glen—and, may I say, the fens?

If the House will indulge me on a personal note, a great personal honour of mine relates to Her Majesty’s love of racing and deep expertise in thoroughbred racing; my late father had the great honour of being the retained royal jockey over fences to her late mother in the ’50s.

Finally, let me mention Her late Majesty’s commitment to the unsung heroes of voluntary service in this country—the charity workers, community helpers and selfless servants who embodied the spirit of selfless public service that she always did. Let us take this moment to renew our commitment to them, but let us also renew our commitment to restore the fragile public trust in our democracy. Her Majesty the Queen took on the monarchy in the wake of the abdication crisis and a world war. It is a remarkable and unprecedented legacy that, after 70 years, she leaves the monarchy stronger than she found it, and stronger, perhaps, than it has ever been.

God bless your Majesty; may she rest in eternal peace. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
Layla Moran – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is a true honour to be able to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of my constituents in Oxford West and Abingdon. I restate the deep sorrow and sadness that many have already expressed.

The ties between the Queen and the community were strong indeed. In every milestone of her reign, Abingdon celebrated with an eccentric and much-loved bun throwing. She was also a regular visitor to our area; she inspected a military parade at RAF Abingdon in 1968, she opened Sophos at Abingdon Science Park in 2004 and she reopened the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford after its refurbishment in 2009.

One constituent remembered the following when he attended the official opening of the Joint European Torus fusion facility at Culham. He said:

“It was opened jointly by the Queen and President Mitterrand. As I recall, the Queen spoke first in English, and then in very polished French. A wonderful way to open a European project.”

Another constituent remembered:

“We were privileged to meet the Queen in Malaysia while living there. I took my six-year-old daughter, who was so excited to meet the real Queen and held a bouquet for her. When the Queen approached, my daughter, reluctant to release the flowers, asked, ‘Are you sure you are the real Queen? You are not wearing a crown, only a hat.’ The Queen replied, ‘I am sorry. The crown was a little heavy to wear today, but I hope you like my hat.’ My daughter, now convinced, released the flowers. I will always remember her warmth and humour while handling my daughter’s mistake.”

Those stories show not just her gargantuan work ethic but how her humility and humanity earned people’s loyalty. I am struck by how many people have been saying, “I am not a monarchist but I loved her.” The fact that she held people’s respect despite and not because of her title is testament to the genius that she brought to the role and is an example to us all.

I am sure that many have not got their heads around what life will be like without her. People have mentioned stamps and coins, but for me as a Brit who grew up abroad, it is the portraits. When we lived in Ethiopia in the ’80s, we would gather as a community at the British club or the embassy, and there she was, glorious in oils, gazing down on our festivities from some ornate framed picture. In the ’90s, when I was in Jamaica, where I remember visiting other schools as part of an orchestra practising both the British and the Jamaican national anthems in preparation for her state visit—of course, she was Head of State there, too. There she was again on the walls. The pictures were often smaller and more humble, but they were always there. Through time and space, she was always there, taken almost for granted, binding her people together, until yesterday, when she was not any more. Like many others, I cried.

My thoughts today are firmly with her family, and especially with King Charles at this incredibly difficult time. Our loyalty transfers to him and, as his pitch perfect address just this afternoon showed, we have absolutely nothing to fear. May our beloved Queen rest in peace. God save the King.

September 10, 2022
James Cartlidge – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by James Cartlidge, the Conservative MP for South Suffolk, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

It is an honour to be called to speak on this sombre day. On behalf of the people of South Suffolk, I send my condolences to the royal family and His Majesty King Charles III.

Like our previous Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), I will start by making a confession. I have never had the great honour to meet the Queen in the true sense, but I did work for her once. During my student holidays, I was a kitchen porter for Gardner Merchant, and one Christmas in the early 1990s I was recruited to do a 19-hour shift at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s staff Christmas party. It did not end well.

Luckily, no one else was around, but in the early hours, while I was concluding the tidying up, I managed to upend an entire bottle of red wine over one of the Queen’s presumably very expensive carpets. What does one do in such a situation? Total panic sets in, and fear of being sent to the Tower of London. So I did the only thing I could do. A few metres away was a very large Ming vase, and I simply relocated it. For all I know, because I have heard nothing since, it is still there. Sorry, ma’am. I pledge my loyalty to His Majesty, and I hope that he is merciful and resists the temptation to put an invoice for cleaning costs in the post.

Above all else, I want to express the great privilege I feel to have lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the great fortune I feel that my four children lived as Elizabethans and knew what it was like to live under this extraordinary sovereign who was deservedly loved and adored the world over for her total devotion to our nation and our Commonwealth. May she rest in peace, supported in her sleep by our eternal love and affection. God save the King.

September 10, 2022