Category: Royal Family

Mary Lou McDonald – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Mary Lou McDonald, the President of Sinn Fein, on 8 September 2022.

I wish to extend deepest sympathy to the British Royal Family on the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Her passing marks the end of an era.

Relationships between our two countries for so long marked by conflict and suffering have been recast and reimagined through the Good Friday Agreement.

The Queen proved a powerful advocate and ally of those who believe in peace and reconciliation.

I salute her contribution to the huge change that has evolved in recent years.

Her death is a moment of heartbreak and pride for the British people. To them, and especially to Irish unionists, I extend on behalf of Sinn Féin and Irish Republicans sincere condolences.

September 12, 2022
Keir Starmer – 2022 Broadcast Statement Following the Death of HM Queen Elizabeth II

The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 8 September 2022.

Today we mourn the passing of a remarkable sovereign.

It is a deep private loss for the Royal Family and our first thoughts are with them at this time.

The nation shares in their grief.

Queen Elizabeth II created a special, personal relationship with us all.

A relationship based on service and devotion to her country.

Nobody under the age of 70 has known anything other than Queen Elizabeth II on the throne.

For the vast majority of us, the late Queen has been simply the Queen.

The only Queen.

Above all else, our Queen.

As we mourn her loss, we should also treasure her life.

Our longest-serving and greatest ever monarch.

Above the clashes of politics, she stood not for what the nation fought over.

But what it agreed upon.

In crisis, she reassured us.

Reminding us that we are all part of something that stretches back through time.

A symbol of the best of us.

I saw it for myself when I led the Crown Prosecution Service.

Every time I had the privilege to meet the late Queen, she would ask the most searching questions because she wanted to understand the lives and struggles of her people.

And as Britain changed rapidly around her, this dedication became the still point of our turning world.

An example that taught us that whatever the challenges we face, the value of service always endures.

And the obvious love the late Queen displayed for Britain, the British people gave back in return.

That is why there is such an outpouring of grief across the nation today.

As there is across the Commonwealth to which the late Queen was so devoted.

Around the world, people are united in mourning.

And united in celebrating her life.

This togetherness is a reminder of what she achieved.

A reminder of our shared values.

Values which I know will be upheld by her beloved son, Charles, our new King.

So as our great Elizabethan era comes to an end, we will honour the late Queen’s memory.

By keeping alive the values of public service she embodied.

For seventy years, Queen Elizabeth II stood as the head of our country.

But, in spirit, she stood amongst us.

September 12, 2022
Sadiq Khan – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 8 September 2022.

The nation and the world mourns today in recognition of the extraordinary service of our Queen – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She served for 70 years with unrivalled grace, dignity and purpose.

Throughout a period of unprecedented transformation, she was a source of great stability, inspiring hope during the most testing of times and exemplifying the best of what it means to be British.

I’m proud to have served as Mayor of London while Queen Elizabeth II was our monarch. I know Londoners, and people across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, are immensely proud and grateful for what she achieved for us all over so many years.

I offer my condolences to the Royal Family at this difficult time.

September 12, 2022
HM Queen Elizabeth II – List of State Visits (Outward)

The list of State visits made overseas by HM Queen Elizabeth II (the inward list is here) during her reign (1952-2022).

OUTBOUND STATE VISITS SINCE 1952

1. 1955 – Norway – King Haakon VII – June 24-26
2. 1956 – Sweden – King Gustaf VI – June 8-10
3. 1957 – Portugal – President Craveiro Lopes – February 18-21
4. 1957 – France – President René Coty – February 18-21
5. 1957 – Denmark – King Frederick IX – May 21-23
6. 1957 – USA – President Eisenhower – October 17-21
7. 1958 – Netherlands – Queen Juliana – March 25-27
8. 1961 – Nepal – King Mahendra – February 26 – 1 March
9. 1961 – Iran – Shahanshah Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlari – March 2-6
10. 1961 – Italy – President Gronchi – May 2-5
11. 1961 – Vatican City – Pope John XXIII – May 5
12. 1961 – Liberia – President Tubman – November 23
13. 1965 – Ethiopia – Emperor Haile Selassie – February 1-8
14. 1965 – Sudan – Dr. El Tigani – February 8-12
15. 1965 – Germany – President Lübke – 18-23 May
16. 1966 – Belgium – King Badouin and Queen Fabiola – May 9-13
17. 1968 – Brazil – President de Costa e Silva – November 5-11
18. 1968 – Chile – President Frei – November 11-18
19. 1969 – Austria – President Jonas – May 5-10
20. 1971 – Turkey – President Sunay – October 18-25
21. 1972 – Thailand – King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit – February 10-15
22. 1972 – Maldives – President Nasir – March 13-14
23. 1972 – France – President Pompidou – May 15-19
24. 1972 – Yugoslavia – President Tito – October 17-21
25. 1974 – Indonesia – President Soeharto – March 15-22
26. 1975 – Mexico – President Echeverria – February 24 – March 1
27. 1975 – Japan – Emperor Hirihito – May 7-12
28. 1976 – Finland – President Kekkonen – May 25-28
29. 1976 – USA – President Ford – July 6-11
30. 1976 – Luxembourg – Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine – November 8-12
31. 1978 – Germany – President Scheel – May 22-26
32. 1979 – Denmark – Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik – May 16-19
33. 1979 – Tanzania – President Nyerere – July 19-22
34. 1979 – Malawi – President Banda – July 22-25
35. 1979 – Botswana – President Seretse Khama – July 25-27
36. 1979 – Zambia – President Kuanda – July 27-August 1
37. 1980 – Switzerland – President Chevallaz – April 29-May 2
38. 1980 – Italy – President Partini – October 14-17
39. 1980 – Vatican City – Pope John Paul II – October 17
40. 1980 – Tunisia – President Bourguiba – October 21-23
41. 1980 – Algeria – President Chadli – October 25-27
42. 1980 – Morocco – King Hassan II – October 27-30
43. 1981 – Norway – King Olav V – May 5-8
44. 1981 – Sri Lanka – President Jayerwardene – October 21-25
45. 1983 – Sweden – King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia – May 25-28
46. 1983 – Kenya – President Arap Moi – November 10-14
47. 1983 – Bangladesh – President Chowdhury – November 14-17
48. 1983 – India – President Zail Singh – November 17-26
49. 1984 – Jordan – King Hussein & Queen Noor – March 26-30
50. 1985 – Portugal – President & Senhora Eanes – March 25-29
51. 1986 – Nepal – King Birendra & Queen Aishwarya – February 17-21
52. 1986 – China – President Li Xiannian – October 12-18
53. 1988 – Spain – King Juan Carlos & Queen Sofia – October 17-21
54. 1989 – Singapore – President Wee Kim Wee – October 9-11
55. 1989 – Malaysia – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Azlan Shah – October 14-17
56. 1990 – Iceland – President Vigdis Finnbogadottir – June 25-27
57. 1991 – USA – President Bush
58. 1991 – Namibia – President Nujoma – October 8-10
59. 1991 – Zimbabwe – President Mugabe – October 10-15
60. 1992 – Malta – President Tabone – May 28-30
61. 1992 – France – President Mitterand – June 9-12
62. 1992 – Germany – President Von Weizsacker – October 19-23
63. 1993 – Hungary – President Goncz – May 4-7
64. 1994 – Russia – President Yeltsin – October 17-20
65. 1995 – South Africa – President Mandela – March 19-25
66. 1996 – Poland – President Walesa – March 25-27
67. 1996 – Czech Republic – President Havel – March 27-29
68. 1996 – Thailand – King Bhumibol – October 28-November 1
69. 1997 – Pakistan – President Sharma – October 6-12
70. 1997 –India – President Naryanan – October 12-18
71. 1998 – Brunei – Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah – September 17-20
72. 1998 – Malaysia – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Jaafar – September 20-23
73. 1999 – South Korea – President Kim Dae-jung – April 19-22
74. 2000 – Italy – President Ciampi – October 16-19
75. 2001 – Norway – King Harald V and Queen Sonja – May 30-June 1
76. 2004 – France – President Jacques Chirac – April 5-7
77. 2004 – Germany – President Horst Köhler – November 2-4
78. 2006 – Lithuania – President Adamkus – 16-17 October
79. 2006 – Latvia – President Vike-Freiberga – 18-19 October
80. 2006 – Estonia – President Ilves – 19-20 October
81. 2007 – United States – President George W. Bush – 3-8 May
82. 2008 – Turkey – President Gül – 13-16 May
83. 2008 – Slovenia – President Tuerk – 21-22 October
84. 2008 – Slovakia – President Gašparovič – 23-24 October
85. 2010 – United Arab Emirates – Emir Khalifa – 24-25 November
86. 2010 – Oman – Sultan Qaboos 25-28 November
87. 2011 – Ireland – President McAleese – 17-20 May
88. 2014 – France – President Hollande – 5–7 June
89. 2015 – Germany – President Gauck – 24–26 June

September 12, 2022
Jack McConnell – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale)

The tribute made by Jack McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

My Lords, I echo the thanks and congratulations of the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, to the Front-Bench speakers, who all spoke so eloquently and movingly for us today. I have no wish to duplicate or repeat what they said; I just want to add a few remarks of my own.

Very few of us will be lucky enough to pass away in the place that we love the most, but we saw this week, after such a life of service, our Queen deservedly pass away in a place that she loved perhaps more than any other. That must have brought her, her family and her staff incredible solace. Balmoral was a very special place to the Queen. It was a place where she not only conducted official duties but was able to relax and have fun with official visitors and with family and friends.

Like the most reverend Primate, some of us have had the incredible privilege of enjoying those barbecues—not at Sandringham, in my case, but at Balmoral, where she would pretend to race with her staff up through the hills to the cottage where the barbecues took place. She was jokingly racing—she would always say to me that she knew that they were never going to try to pass her, but she had to pretend to be part of the race anyway and get there first. She would roll up her sleeves and help set the fire, set the table and clear up afterwards. It was somewhere where she really felt at home. As First Minister, I enjoyed those moments more than I ever expected to. My nerves went after the first year and, as the years went by, we enjoyed sharing stories and experiences.

I recall in particular when the Queen told a story about two American tourists, who had been on a bus trip and had wandered round the back of Balmoral to the rose garden, where she was tending the roses with her headscarf and sunglasses on. Of course, they did not recognise her. They broke into conversation: they asked her what it was like to work for the Queen and whether the Queen never tended the roses herself. She played along with it for five minutes or so, and they were very grateful for the opportunity to hear so much about the life of the Queen from one of her staff. They went back round to the bus to leave Balmoral, and she very quickly nipped into the kitchen, took her headscarf and sunglasses off, went out the front door and waved goodbye to the bus, only to see these two American tourists looking out the window, nudging everybody and saying that they had just spoken to her in the garden. That great sense of humour and fun was remarkable, and it was a privilege to have seen it up close.

I also appreciated, as I am absolutely certain previous and current First Ministers in the devolved Governments have, her interest in, and the time spent with her discussing, the way in which devolution was developing in the United Kingdom and the issues at play, good and bad, in our devolved nations.

We have heard a lot this week about consistency. Although her consistency was important, it was also very important that she was able to change and adapt with the times as society changed over the decades she served us. Her ability to embrace that change was, for me, just as important as the consistency of her values.

Her relationship with Scotland did not begin in 1999, but her relationship with Scotland informed her ability to embrace the constitutional changes that took place that year and to show real empathy, respect and support for the new institutions, not just in Edinburgh but in Cardiff and Belfast too. She met the new Cabinet in 1999 and she embodied the positive celebrations that we had in those early days. Crucially, in 2002, during that Golden Jubilee, she came to the Scottish Parliament again and reminded us of the importance of the long-term goal, helping us steady the ship after those rocky first three years and giving us a lead by saying that, if you serve the people, you will get there in the end. That made a huge difference to the Parliament and to Scotland at the time.

She understood that the UK was four nations but, more than that, she understood the Commonwealth—that tapestry of nations that she did so much to nurture and support. I was amazed to get a text today at 7 am. This time last week, I was in Maganga Secondary School in Salima, in rural Malawi—a school where none of the girls had ever visited a big city or seen a television. The head teacher sent me a text this morning which reads: “On behalf of Maganga School, staff and students, I would like to sincerely express our sadness upon hearing about the death of the Queen, Queen Elizabeth II. As a school, we are very sorry for that great loss. She was our Queen, and a great personality to us all. May the good Lord be with the bereaved family.” That is the mark of the impact that she had around the world, not just for leaders, not just for history, but right now, today, in some of the poorest villages in Malawi and elsewhere.

Finally, I want to recall her kindness to my family and my staff, and her commitment to her own family—remember, she was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother, and her family will be grieving desperately this weekend. I thank her for her support, and know that she would want us to give full support to King Charles III; I thank her for her service; I thank her personally for those treasured moments that I have. We are poorer for her passing, but we are richer and stronger for her life.

September 12, 2022
Michael Forsyth – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Forsyth of Drumlean)

The tribute made by Michael Forsyth, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, in the House of Lords on 9 September 2022.

My Lords, I begin by congratulating my noble friend Lady Williams on her appointment as Chief Whip. I am very sad that her first duties should be in connection with this sad news, but we look forward to great things from her.

My Lords, I am lost for words. Having listened to the fantastic tribute made by the new Leader of the House—what a tremendous 24 or 48 hours he has had—and to those from the Leader of the Opposition, the noble Baroness, Lady Smith, from the noble Lord, Lord Newby, from the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge, on the Cross Benches, and in particular the contribution of the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is very little I can say that is new to encapsulate what we are all feeling at this present time. However, I would like to express and extend my sympathy to His Majesty the King and members of the Royal Family on this day of great sadness but also thankfulness.

I do not know if I am alone in experiencing feelings of bereavement and sadness that quite took me by surprise yesterday evening. I found myself hugely emotional, and I think many people in the country felt the same, on hearing the dreadful news. I think we all secretly hoped that the Queen would go on forever—a view that was expressed by the noble Lord, Lord Newby, and by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge, earlier. However, I would like to concentrate on the thankfulness rather than the sadness: thankfulness for the example, the dedication, the stability, the love and the leadership that Queen Elizabeth gave to our country and the Commonwealth. As we heard today, the thousands of tributes from every corner of the globe talk of duty, dignity, humility, integrity, humanity, compassion, kindness and faith, which were indeed the hallmarks of our late Queen and shone brightly in everything she did.

As Secretary of State for Scotland I was privileged to spend some time with her, and in Royal Week, where my role was basically to follow behind carrying the handbag, almost, I was privileged to spend some time with her and to see these qualities and her sense of humour at first hand. Her love of Scotland and her dedication to the United Kingdom—our United Kingdom—are well known, and it is a real blessing that she was able to die in her own bed in her beloved Balmoral in Scotland, having carried out her duties right to the end.

In the many millions of words written about her in the last 24 hours all over the world, many folk will have commented on how she could have shown these astonishing qualities so consistently over so many years and carried that great burden of office and responsibilities without putting a foot wrong. I believe, as the most reverend Primate indicated in his remarks, that the key to answering that question lies in her Christian faith and a life lived following the teachings of Jesus Christ. May God bless her and may she rest in peace.

September 12, 2022
Penny Mordaunt – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

It is an honour to bring to a close the tributes paid to her most Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I speak today as Leader of the House of Commons, but also for the people of Portsmouth, a city she visited not just for fleet reviews, civic events, homecomings, or ship commissioning, but in transit to board her beloved Royal Yacht Britannia. In all cases, the people of my city remember her connection to and understanding of the tools of UK sea power, our sailors, our civilians, their families, our dockyard and our warships. For a time, that was her life, too: she had worn a uniform; she was a naval wife. She understood service and sacrifice and the burdens people carried. That empathy was evident in all that she did. It was no surprise to hear so many tributes from hon. and right hon. Members full of examples of that personal kindness, or of her concern and care for the staff of this estate, including her desire for the Vice-Chamberlain’s weekly notes to keep her up to speed on the gossip.

The Queen was our Polaris, but she was not a distant Queen. She took an interest in us all, because she recognised the burden of service. Her reign began with a very public grief, because she could not mourn her father in private. She loved Balmoral not just for its beauty and peace, but because she got to sleep in the same bed for a whole six weeks. Of all the exceptional things that she did, of all the people and places that she experienced, her rare night of normality, of freedom, out with her sister to celebrate victory in Europe was, in her words, “one of the most memorable”. For me, the fact that she met her new Prime Minister in person and prepared to take a Privy Council 24 hours before her death illustrates the depth of her devotion to duty.

The Queen lived and died in the service of the nation, as her father and his father before him did. In the final analysis, this then is the measure of all greatness. It is not weighed by gain, but in loss. Sacrifice is the ultimate test of faith and duty. All that is yours must be laid down for all that is us. All that is they must be laid down for all that is we. For only those that bear this cross can wear the crown, because crowns are not made just of jewels and precious metals; they are mostly made of love.

Speaking after 9/11, the Queen comforted us and the rest of the world by saying that grief was the price of love. Her words should comfort us still. We may now feel lost and uncertain, just like some may have felt 70 years ago when she vowed that her life would be dedicated to us. If only they had known what a life she would lead, what glories and hope and vision she would bestow. They need not have worried, and nor should we now. Like his mother’s grief at her father’s death, His Majesty’s grief, too, will not be a private one. He will lead us in mourning. He also carries the cross—a cross of sacrifice and service.

Our great Queen has entrusted us all with a living legacy of triumph over tribulation, of cheerfulness over challenge, and of dedication and determination. She has left us, but her values remain with us. Her example compels us to continued fidelity to our King and our country. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
Thangam Debbonaire – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Thangam Debbonaire, the Labour MP for Bristol West, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

First, it is a great pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Windsor (Adam Afriyie), and I had a feeling he would have more anecdotes than I do.

It is truly an honour to close these two days of tributes to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I have heard almost all of them either here or in my office, and truly every speech has been superb. I am so proud of how we, her Parliament, have come together to pay tribute, and I really think we have done her proud. Colleagues have sent condolences to the royal family on behalf of their constituents, and on behalf of the people of Bristol West and my own family, I do so, too.

From the opening speeches by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, followed by the Father and the Mother of the House, to those of the Members here now and the hundreds in between, I am grateful to each and every colleague, as I also am to the Clerks, Doorkeepers and staff who have enabled this to happen. I truly thank everyone. It is impossible to do the normal round-up closing speech, so I will try to pick out themes instead, because we have explored so many of service and of faith. We have had poetry and prose, and quite a lot of comedy. There have been perspectives from history and of progress. I am aware—I hope I have my dates right—that Her late Majesty’s first Prime Minister was born in 1874 and her last in 1975. What a span of historical perspective.

Many spoke wittily of their own time with the late Queen, to illustrate her character. To pick one out, who knew that the tale of a plate of cheese delivered with a wry raised eyebrow by the former Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), could evoke the Queen so well? We have heard many stories of mishaps on footstools, some of them with Her late Majesty saving people’s dignity, but some of them just managing to turn it into a comedy moment.

The Mother of the House and many others spoke of the significance of the late Queen as a female leader and role model. Indeed, in her Christmas broadcast in 1966, the Queen said that

“it has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress of mankind.”

I have thought about that remark a lot in the past couple of days.

Some colleagues spoke eloquently of their time with the late Queen in other countries—the greatest diplomat on the world stage in our corner, representing Britain—and many talked about her close bond and relationships with our armed forces and others in uniform. We have toured all the nations and every region—it seems like every village, town and city—and felt the sense of pride that she had in all of this country and all of us in it, where she shook more hands, unveiled more plaques and gifted more smiles than anywhere else.

I have learned a great deal more about how a constitutional monarchy operates from those who interacted with Her late Majesty in governmental office, and of her kindness to those whose governmental career had ended. Ardent monarchists and those with a different view alike expressed huge respect for her dedication to public service. Her ability to transcend politics and to represent the national mood meant that she was a unifying figure through which the public could share our nation’s joys and bring much-needed comfort in our country’s darkest hours. I feel that today we have transcended politics and come together.

Many speakers mentioned the late Queen’s pitch-perfect television statements during the pandemic, which so movingly connected our collective trauma in those fearful months in 2020 with the anguish instilled in the world war two generation. Remembering her invocation of Vera Lynn’s wartime message, “We’ll meet again” brings a lump to my throat—so poignant—but she also said:

“the attributes of self-discipline, of quiet good-humoured resolve and of fellow-feeling still characterise this country. The pride in who we are is not a part of our past, it defines our present and our future.”

Many spoke of how, aged just 21, the then Princess Elizabeth declared that her whole life, whether it be long or short, should be devoted to our service. That was a promise she fulfilled right until the very end. Grief, as Her late Majesty said, is the price we pay for love, but who would want to live without love? We suffer that grief willingly. Whatever the age at which our loved ones leave us, whether their life was long or short, we always grief for that lost presence—the years we are robbed of. We yearn for just one more week, one more day, just one more hour with them. Knowing how that feels, and knowing that the royal family must be feeling that right now, even in the midst of all the formalities and the public duties, we keep them in our hearts.

I hope that, by reflecting together on the Queen’s life over the past two days, we can appreciate the concept of a life well lived. Whether you are a brownie or an MP, whether you work in the NHS or in education, whether you were a key worker or a volunteer during the pandemic, whether you work in hospitality or a factory, whether you are simply a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a friend or a neighbour, each day brings all of us a new opportunity to live up to the ideal set by the late Queen’s life well lived. That is perhaps the biggest tribute we can pay to the ultimate public servant, conscious as we go about our lives of how we can help one another, contribute to the common good and work toward an even better Britain. In the doing of duty and service, we sometimes think of sacrifice, but in the tributes offered here we can all recognise that, in fact, these make a good life. We MPs, who willingly chose our life of duty and service, can renew our commitment to them now as we celebrate the one who, though that life was thrust upon her, followed it unstintingly for 70 years. We must carry forward this Elizabethan legacy of public service for generations to come, for this truly is patriotism.

May Her late Majesty rest in peace and the legacy of the great Elizabethan age continue. May His Majesty King Charles III have a long and successful reign. Long live the King.

September 11, 2022
Adam Afriyie – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Adam Afriyie, the Conservative MP for Windsor, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

Her Majesty the Queen was the heart of Windsor, and it is in some ways fitting that my words will be the last of the Back-Bench tributes to Her Majesty. I wish to pass on condolences not just from me but from my many constituents to the royal family.

The Queen was an exceptional monarch through an extraordinary era. Even before her coronation, the young Elizabeth made a vow to devote her life to serving her country. She kept her promise, and she surpassed our expectations. She has been the constant in an ever-changing world not just for Windsor, but for the country, the Commonwealth, and in the hearts and minds of all those around the world. She has been the embodiment of the United Kingdom. She has been projecting all that is good about our nation across the globe for more than 70 years, and her image is our image to the world.

She was the omnipresent Queen. I have been listening to the tributes in this debate, and it seems as though the Queen has been to every part of our United Kingdom. Everybody has a story to tell and everyone in this Chamber has a story to tell. I can tell the House that, as the Prime Minister’s trade envoy to parts of west Africa, everybody there has a story to tell as well. Everyone has a story to tell about our omnipresent Queen. Nationally and internationally, she is recognised.

Yet amid all her duties, responsibilities and commitments, the Queen remained ever-present in the Windsor constituency, one of her favourite homes. People felt her presence everywhere across the constituency—absolutely everywhere. As the MP, I have had the privilege of greeting Heads of State as they arrived in Windsor, albeit in the shadows of Her Majesty, and I could witness at first hand her incisive wit and her cool and calm humour, which set guests at their ease. Aside from seeing the Queen at Royal Ascot, the Savill garden, the Combermere barracks and the Victoria barracks, or at military parades, virtually every constituent will have seen or met her, or knew somebody very close to them who had.

If people lived in Windsor, there was no escape—none whatsoever. If they were strolling in Windsor Great park, they would inevitably bump into the Queen walking, driving or, in the past, on a horse. Their children were likely to see her at school or at college, and for anyone working for our many charities and good causes, it was inevitable that they would receive visits and great patronage from the Queen. When it came to our businesses, if the foundation stone of the building was not laid by the Queen, a plaque with her name was placed there on her opening it, or the business received a letter or an invite to the Castle. Whether people knew it or not, even when they were shopping in the King Edward Court centre in central Windsor, it was inevitable that they would bump into Her Majesty on occasion. She was everywhere: she was truly omnipresent. So I am not surprised—I am not—that her last official engagement was at the Thames hospice in our local area. It makes sense in so many ways.

In closing, it is difficult for me to express just how much the Queen will be missed in Windsor and how thankful we are to have known her. She was our omnipresent Queen—the Queen of constancy—and her image is our image to the world. In future, in this place and across the country, we must strive to live up to her image of us. In Windsor the Queen will live on in our parks, lakes and buildings, and in our memories. She will live on in her eldest son, and I say without hesitation, long live King Charles III.

September 11, 2022
Nusrat Ghani – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Nusrat Ghani, the Conservative for Wealden, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

I rise with a heavy heart tonight to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen. I want to start by expressing my deepest sympathies to His Majesty the King and the entire royal family, on behalf of my family and the loyal constituents of Wealden. Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was loved and respected throughout my constituency, from the villages of Withyham and Eridge in the north to the town of Hailsham in the south. She was adored for her duty, loyalty and leadership in the UK, the Commonwealth and across the world.

I want to share the words of a constituent who lives in Fletching. Libby Buchanan is 99 years old and has lived through the reigns of five monarchs, from George V to King Charles III. She said to me how deeply blessed she felt to have lived through the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Sometimes, Libby told me, the changes experienced in the world over the Queen’s reign were bewildering, yet the Queen never changed. She was always there, a constant, gentle and ever-present light. That light has now gone out but, as Libby said, the flame has been relit and is held in the safest possible hands: those of King Charles III. Long live the King.

September 11, 2022