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Richard Bacon – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Richard Bacon, the Conservative MP for South Norfolk, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

It is an honour to offer my tribute to Her late Majesty, both on behalf of the constituents of South Norfolk and personally. I will not resile from anything our Scottish friends have said about Her Majesty’s great love of Scotland, and it might not be a coincidence—it may have been by choice—that Her Majesty chose to spend her last days in the place she loved the most, but she also loved Norfolk. My hon. Friend the Member for North West Norfolk (James Wild) spoke of Sandringham yesterday.

Soon after Her late Majesty’s accession in 1952, she became patron of the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, which hosts the Royal Norfolk show, one of England’s premier agricultural events, in South Norfolk. The Queen attended the show in person in 1981 and again in 1986. His Majesty the King, as the Prince of Wales, has twice attended the Royal Norfolk show in the last two decades, and I was privileged as the local Member of Parliament to meet him on both occasions. Indeed, all the children of Her late Majesty have visited the Royal Norfolk show, as have other members of the royal family. We were delighted to welcome the Princess Royal just over two months ago.

Farmers and food producers across the county of Norfolk deeply appreciate the commitment of Her late Majesty and the wider royal family to food and farming over many decades, long before the words “food security” were even thought of. The Queen visited South Norfolk in February 2002 to open the headquarters of Norfolk constabulary in Wymondham, and again in February 2004 to open the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

I particularly remember the Queen’s visit to the new police headquarters, when I was honoured to meet her. I was standing next to the chief constable in the receiving line. The then lord lieutenant, Sir Timothy Colman, introduced the Queen to the chief constable with the words, “Your chief constable, ma’am.” I suddenly reflected that he was, indeed, her chief constable, just as it was her Royal Navy, her courts and her civil service, and just as this Parliament sat under her authority with our Mace as its symbol. The system of constitutional monarchy that we have evolved is a pearl of great price precisely because it allows us to change. At the same time it offers constancy, as perfectly embodied in Her late Majesty.

On behalf of my constituents in South Norfolk, I thank Her late Majesty for all her extraordinary service. I offer my deepest condolences to the royal family and look forward with confidence and optimism to the new era before us. May the Queen rest in peace. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
Kieran Mullan – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Kieran Mullan, the Conservative MP for Crewe and Nantwich, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

It is a privilege for me to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II today on behalf of the people of Crewe and Nantwich and surrounding villages. I did not have the honour of meeting the Queen, but in a testament to her decades of service and the diligent attention she paid to every corner of her realm, Her Majesty visited the area numerous times. In 1972, she opened Leighton Hospital. In 1987, she opened Crewe Heritage Centre and visited Crewe Works. In 1995, she was greeted by 200 south-west Cheshire scouts at Crewe train station, and in 2010, she visited Reaseheath College in Nantwich.

As others have said, a visit by the Queen—the handshakes, the conversations, even just distant glimpses—stay in people’s memories. Leighton Hospital’s longest-serving member of staff, Phil Malam, now aged 69, talked about the visit as part of the hospital’s recent 50th anniversary celebrations. The visit took place just a few days after the then 19-year-old began working as a hospital porter. He wrote:

“It was a very special day…I remember we lined the corridor and the Queen spoke to quite a few of us as she walked past. She was really interested in what we did and thanked us—a lovely lady.”

That is absolutely typical of how people describe interactions with the Queen: “She was really interested in what we did and thanked us.” Over 70 years, I cannot even begin to imagine the number of conversations, handshakes, school and hospital openings, state occasions, visits by dignitaries and tours abroad—70 years of unwavering service to this country and her people, always interested, always smiling, always polite. In the age of celebrity, where to be famous is to be of interest to others, the most famous woman in the world was more interested in others. What drove her was a sense of duty and, as others have said, her wish to keep that promise that she made at just 21: to devote her life to our service. It was a promise solemnly made, and solemnly kept.

Why does that stir such strong sentiment in us? I think it is because we know our failings as humans are often rooted in self-interest of one kind or another: our desire to be important or admired, to achieve things, to be celebrated, to think mostly of ourselves and our family and friends. When someone extends the bonds of service to an entire nation, as the Queen did, to people she would never meet or know—when we see someone embodying the best of what it means to be human, the opposite of self-interest—that inspires us. It gives us a glimpse of what we are all capable of. That is why I admired the Queen.

But, as she embodied us, the millions who undertake acts of community and voluntary service embody her as well. The scout leader, the children’s Sunday league football coach, the parkrun or marathon steward, the parish councillor, the Samaritans helpline volunteer, and the litter-pick group member all follow her example. Now I look at that final picture of her taken this week, and in retrospect, I think there was a deeper meaning to that final act of service than I realised at the time. Right at the end of her life, when perhaps for the rest of us our own comfort would come first, Her Majesty was once again absolutely determined to put her promise to us first—one last desire to help her people and her Prime Minister, entering another period of difficulty and uncertainty, to take that first step towards it with her yet again at our side. Now, rest in peace, Your Majesty. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
Richard Holden – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Richard Holden, the Conservative MP for North West Durham, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

I rise today to pay tribute myself and on behalf of my constituents. There have already been some very moving reflections from many Members, and I have felt it a privilege to be in the Chamber in the last couple of days, especially for the contributions from my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and the right hon. and learned Member for Camberwell and Peckham (Ms Harman), whose charming personal anecdotes about the Queen exemplified the private charm of someone who lived their life in the full public view. Those stories captured the affection and personal touches of a graceful sovereign who humour and kind heart transcended generations, languages and continents like no one else.

Yesterday, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), in his traditional style, rightly noted that the Queen’s exemplary commitment to public service means that she will enter the annals of our history, and that of the world, as Elizabeth the Great. As the Prime Minister rightly remarked yesterday, the late Queen’s spirit of public service will serve as a shining example to empower and inspire future generations, including her son as he takes on his immense new task as His Majesty King Charles III.

Her late Majesty did not just live by the principles and values of public service: the length, depth and breadth of her dutiful commitment, not only to the United Kingdom but to our realms across the seas, the Commonwealth and the world, made her into essentially a human embodiment of selfless public service.

Over the past few days, one quote from Ecclesiastes has returned to me again and again:

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”.

Throughout her life, as she grew with us, the Queen fulfilled many purposes as a constitutional monarch to passing generations: a friend, a mother, a grandmother and, in recent years, perhaps even a great-grandmother. Maybe we can find some purpose in her passing, too. Her late Majesty the Queen epitomised duty and public service, so much so that when we hear those words today, we see her and her example. She will be sorely missed, but she will never be forgotten. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
James Daly – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by James Daly, the Conservative MP for Bury North, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

The 22nd of October 1954 was a rainy, cold day in Bury, but thousands of people lined the streets, waiting for hours in the pouring rain to see the young Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh on their post-coronation trip to the north-west of England, to see the great towns and cities of the north. There is a wonderful Pathé film of the occasion and one can feel down the ages the happiness, excitement, passion and pride of everyone from all the different towns in knowing that for one moment they might see their Queen, who meant so much to them.

Bury has changed greatly since 1954 in all sorts of ways, including socially. The buildings now look very different to the Pathé film, but the excitement, pride, love and devotion of the people of Bury for their sovereign has never changed. The young Princess Elizabeth first came to Bury in 1938—she was very young then. She came back with her father in 1945: Bury was one of the great towns of the north, producing armaments. She came again in 1954, and in 1968 she visited Radcliffe, another great industrial town just outside my constituency. In 1992, she came back again to visit Bury town hall, which she had opened on that rainy day in 1954.

To me, the Queen represents something that is unique and personal. She is linked to every household, every person, every village, every town and every street in this country. She means different things to us all, but she is a constant, and an example of a set of principles that she lived her life by, for which we all loved and admired her. She said to this nation many decades ago that she would give her life in the service of the people of this country and Commonwealth, and she did exactly that.

The Queen stands for something more than we are. She touched the lives of every single person in Bury, Ramsbottom and Tottington. We have all lived in the Elizabethan age, whether we are six months or 70 years old. We all share the same values, and we have been honoured to live through a time that has linked our towns, our heritage, our histories and our families in the same feelings of love, joy and pride in a unique, wonderful woman. May she rest in peace. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
HM Queen Elizabeth II – List of State Visits (Inward)

A list of State Visits taking place during the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022). This is the list of inward visits, held in the UK (the outward list is here).

2019

USA (United States of America)

President Donald J. Trump and Mrs Melania Trump
3-5 June 2019

2018

The Netherlands

Their Majesties The King and Queen of the Netherlands
23-24 October 2018

2017

Spain (the Kingdom of Spain)

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia
12-15 July 2017

2016

Colombia

President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón and Mrs María Clemencia Rodríguez de Santos
1-3 November 2016

2015

China (the People’s Republic of China)

President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan
20-23 October 2016

Mexico (the United Mexican States)

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Señora Angélica Rivera de Peña
3-5 March 2015

2014

Singapore (the Republic of Singapore)

President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs. Tan Keng Yam
21-24 October 2014

Ireland (the Republic of Ireland)

President Michael D. Higgins and Mrs. Sabina Higgins
8-11 April 2014

2013

South Korea (the Republic of Korea)

President Park Geun-hye
5-7 November 2013

UAE (United Arab Emirates)

President Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
30 April – 1 May 2013

2012

Kuwait (the State of Kuwait)

Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah
27-29 November 2012

Indonesia (the Republic of Indonesia)

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudohoyono
31 October – 2 November 2012

2011

Turkey

President Abdullah Gül and Mrs. Gül
22-24 November 2011

USA (United States of America)

President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
24-26 May 2011

2010

Qatar (the State of Qatar)

Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser AlMissned
26-28 November 2010

South Africa (the Republic of South Africa)

President Jacob Zuma and Mrs. Zuma
3-5 March 2010

2009

India (the Republic of India)

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Dr. Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat
27-29 October 2009

Mexico (the United Mexican States)

President Felipe Calderón and Señora Zavala
30 March-2 April 2009

2008

France (the French Republic)

President and Madame Nicolas Sarkozy
26-27 March 2008

2007

Saudi Arabia (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud
30 October-1 November 2007

Ghana (the Republic of Ghana)

President John Kufuor and Mrs. Kufuor
13-15 March 2007

2006

Brazil (the Federative Republic of Brazil)

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senhora Lula da Silva
7-9 March 2006

2005

China (the People’s Republic of China)

President Hu Jintao and Madame Liu Yongqing
8-10 November 2005

Italy (the Italian Republic)

President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Signora Ciampi
15-18 March 2005

2004

South Korea (the Republic of Korea)

President Roh Moo-hyun and Mrs. Roh Moo-hyun
1-3 December 2004

Poland (the Republic of Poland)

President Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Mrs. Kwaśniewska
5-7 May 2004

2003

USA (the United States of America)

President George Bush and Mrs. Bush
18-21 November 2003

Russia (the Russian Federation)

President Vladimir Putin and Mrs. Putina
24-27 June 2003

2001

Jordan (the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)

King Abdullah II and Queen Rania
6-9 November 2001

South Africa (the Republic of South Africa)
President Thabo Mbeki and Mrs. Mbeki
12-15 June 2001

2000

Denmark

Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
16-18 February 2000

1999

China (the People’s Republic of China)

President Jiang Zemin and Madame Wang Yeping
19-22 October 1999

Hungary (the Republic of Hungary)

President Árpád Göncz and Mrs. Göncz
22-25 June 1999

1998

Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany)

President Roman Herzog and Frau Herzog
1-4 December 1998

Japan

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko
26-29 May 1998

1997

Brazil (the Federative Republic of Brazil)

President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Senhora Cardoso
2-5 December 1997

Israel (the State of Israel)

President Ezer Weizman and Mrs. Weizman
25-28 February 1997

1996

South Africa (the Republic of South Africa)

President Nelson Mandela
9-12 July 1996

France (the French Republic)

President Jacques Chirac and Madame Chirac
14-17 May 1996

1995

Finland (the Republic of Finland)

President Martti Ahtisaari and Madame Ahtisaari
17-20 October 1995

Kuwait (the State of Kuwait)

Amir Shaikh Jabir al Ahmed Jabir al Sabah
23-26 May 1995

1994

Norway

King Harald V and Queen Sonja
5-8 July 1994

Zimbabwe (the Republic of Zimbabwe)

President Robert Mugabe
17-20 May 1994

1993

Malaysia

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and The Raja Permaisuri Agong
9-12 November 1993

Portugal (the Portuguese Republic)

President Mário Soares and Senhora Soares
27-30 April 1993

1992

Brunei Darassalam

The Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam and The Raja Isteri
3-6 November 1992

1991

Egypt (the Arab Republic of Egypt)

President Hosni Mubarak and Mrs. Mubarak
23-26 July 1991

Poland (the Republic of Poland)

President Lech Walęsa and Mrs. Walęsa
23-26 April 1991

1990

Italy (the Italian Republic)

President Francesco Cossiga
23-26 October 1990

India (the Republic of India)

President Ramaswamy Venkataraman and Shrimali Venkataraman
3-6 April 1990

1989

Nigeria (the Federal Republic of Nigeria)

President and Mrs. Babangida
9-12 May 1989

UAE (The United Arab Emirates)

President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
18-21 July 1989

1988

Senegal (the Republic of Senegal)

President Abdou Diouf and Madame Diouf
8-11 November 1988

Turkey (the Republic of Turkey)

President Kenan Evren
12-15 July 1988

Norway

King Olav V
12-15 April 1988

1987

Morocco (the Kingdom of Morocco)

King Hassan II
14-17 July 1987

Saudi Arabia (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

King Fahd
24-27 March 1987

1986

Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany)

President Richard von Weizsäcker and Freifrau von Weizsacker
1-4 July 1986

Spain (the Kingdom of Spain)

King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia
22-25 April 1986

1985

Qatar (the State of Qatar)

Amir Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani
12-15 November 1985

Mexico

President Miguel de la Madrid and Señora de la Madrid
11-14 June 1985

Malawi (the Republic of Malawi)

Life President Hastings Banda
16-19 April 1985

1984

France (the French Republic)

President François Mitterand and Madame Mitterand
23-26 October 1984

Bahrain(the State of Bahrain)

Amir Shaikh Isa bin Sulman Al Khalifa
10-13 April 1984

1983

Zambia (the Republic of Zambia)

President Kenneth Kaunda and Mrs. Kaunda
22-25 March 1983

1982

Netherlands (the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus
16-19 November 1982

Oman (the State of Oman)

Sultan Qaboos Bin Al Said
16-19 March 1982

1981

Saudi Arabia (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

King Khaled
9-12 June 1981

Nigeria (the Federal Republic of Nigeria)

President Shehu Shagari
17-20 March 1981

1980

Nepal (the Kingdom of Nepal)

King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya
18-21 November 1980

1979

Indonesia (the Republic of Indonesia)

President Suharto and Madame Tien Soeharto
13-16 November 1979

Kenya (the Republic of Kenya)

President Daniel Arap Moi
12-15 June 1979

1978

Portugal (the Republic of Portugal)

President António Eanes and Senhora Eanes
14-17 November 1978

Romania (the Socialist Republic of Romania)

President Nicolae Ceauşescu and Madame Ceauşescu
13-16 June 1978

1976

France (the French Republic)

President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and Madame d’Estaing
22-25 June 1976

Brazil (the Federative Republic of Brazil)

President Ernesto Geisel and Senhora Geisel
4-7 May 1976

1975

Tanzania (the United Republic of Tanzania)

President Nyerere
18-21 November 1975

Sweden

King Carl XVI Gustaf
8-11 July 1975

1974

Malaysia

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and The Raja Permaisuri Agong
9-12 July 1974

Denmark

Queen Margrethe II and Prince Consort Henrik
30 April – 3 May 1974

1973

Zaire (the Republic of Zaire)

President Mobuto Sese Seko and Madame Mobutu
11-14 December 1973

Nigeria (the Federal Republic of Nigeria)

Head of the Federal Military Government General Yakubu Gowon and Mrs. Gowon
12-15 June 1973

Mexico

President Luis Echeverría and Señora de Echeverría
3-6 April 1973

1972

Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany)

President Gustav Heinemann and Frau Heinemann
24-27 October 1972

Luxembourg (the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg)

Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte
13-16 June 1972

Netherlands (the Kingdom of the Netherlands)

Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard
11-15 June 1972

1971

Afghanistan

King Mohammed Zahir Shah, Princess Bilquis and General Sardar Abdul Wali
7-10 December 1971

Japan

Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako
5-8 October 1971

1969

Finland (the Republic of Finland)

President Urho Kekkonen and Madame Kekkonen
15-20 July 1969

Italy (the Italian Republic)

President Saragat and Signora Santacatterina
22-30 April 1969

1967

Turkey (the Republic of Turkey)

President Cevdet Sunay and Madame Sunay
1-8 November 1967

Saudi Arabia (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)

King Faisal
9-17 May 1967

1966

Pakistan (the Republic of Pakistan)

President Ayub Khan
17-25 November 1966

Jordan (the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)

King Hussein and The Princess Muna al Hussein
19-28 July 1966

Austria (the Republic of Austria)

Federal President Franz Jonas and Frau Jonas
17-21 May 1966

1965

Chile

President Eduardo Frei and Señora de Frei
13-17 July 1965

1964

Sudan (the Republic of Sudan)

President Ferik Ibrahim Abbood
26 May – 4 June 1964

1963

Greece (Kingdom of the Hellenes)

King Paul I and Queen Frederika
9-12 July 1963

India

President Sarvepalli Radharkrishnan
12-23 June 1963

Belgium

King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola
14-17 May 1963

Norway

King Olav V
16-19 October 1963

1962

Liberia (the Republic of Liberia)

President Martin Tubman and Mrs. Tubman
10-13 July 1962

1960

Nepal (the Kingdom of Nepal)

King Mahendra and Queen Ratna
17-20 October 1960

Thailand (Kingdom of Thailand)

King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit
19-21 July 1960

France (the French Republic)

President Charles de Gaulle and Madame de Gaulle
5-8 April 1960

1959

Iran

The Shahanshah
5-8 May 1959

1958

Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany)

President Theodor Heuss
21-23 October 1958

Italy (the Italian Republic)

President Giovanni Gronchi and Signora Gronchi
13-16 May 1958

1956

Iraq

King Feisal
16-19 July 1956

1955

Portugal (the Portuguese Republic)

President Francisco Craveiro Lopes and Madame Craveiro Lopes
25-28 October 1955

1954

Ethiopia

Emperor Haile Selassie
14-16 October 1954

Sweden

King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise
28 June-1 July 1954

September 11, 2022
Christopher Chope – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Sir Christopher Chope, the Conservative MP for Christchurch, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

My constituents and I thank His Majesty the King for his words of comfort and reassurance following today’s proclamation of accession as sovereign. We send His Majesty and the whole royal family our deepest condolences on the death of Her Majesty.

The second Elizabethan age has received many references in the last day and a half of debate. Christchurch probably has more people than any other constituency who can remember the beginning of the second Elizabethan age, in 1952, and I am among those privileged to have lived throughout the late Queen’s 70-year reign. I first saw her at her coronation in 1953, when my parents were invited to watch it on a friend’s black-and-white television—I think it was the first time I had ever seen a television.

I have been lucky enough to meet Her late Majesty on several occasions, first at an investiture in 1982 and last at an investiture in 2018, but the meeting to which I shall allude took place when I was asked by the Secretary of State for Transport to host the occasion when Her Majesty opened the Queen Elizabeth II bridge across the Thames, linking the two parts of the M25. As a junior Minister, I was tremendously nervous, but Her Majesty put me at my ease. We had a long private conversation about the bridge, its construction and its funding, and I remember assuring her that the tolls would be lifted as soon as the bridge was paid for. I am pleased to say that Her Majesty kept her counsel on that, as today the tolls are still there even through the bridge has been paid for several times over. I remember that occasion distinctly.

So also do I remember the occasion when Her late Majesty attended the 80th birthday party of Margaret Thatcher. The way she showed her support and encouragement to Margaret Thatcher on that occasion was really moving, because she was not in the best of health. That is an example of the way in which Her late Majesty rose to the occasion. She was not doing something party political—I think Tony Blair was there as well—but her compassion showed through to all of us who had the privilege to be present.

The Queen encapsulated and exemplified all those qualities that make our nation the envy of the world, and make us so proud to be British. The second Elizabethan age, which has drawn to a close this week, will be revered for centuries to come. Weren’t we lucky to be part of it?

September 11, 2022
Selaine Saxby – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Selaine Saxby, the Conservative MP for North Devon, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

It is a privilege to rise, albeit with great sadness, to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of my constituents and to send North Devon’s deepest condolences to the royal family.

The Queen has been such a constant in our lives, dedicating her life to public service as she said she would, that it is hard to imagine life without her. Her beautiful outfits and hats, her smile and her constant reassuring presence will be sorely missed. Thank you for all you have done, the joy you have brought us and the memories you leave us with.

The Queen visited Barnstaple back in 1956. The royal train arrived at the station at 10 am, and other than a slight hiccup—an official opening the wrong door—the visit went off smoothly. In our pannier market, she was greeted by 5,000 children, who cheered wildly, and I hope many of them who are still with us have recalled that day this week, and indeed still frequent our pannier market. Unfortunately, I was not there in 1956 and I have never had the opportunity to meet the Queen, unlike so many of my longer serving colleagues. One of the joys of this sad time has been to hear their fond memories and wonderful anecdotes.

Although we continue to mourn, with this morning’s proclamation we must look to the future. I have no doubt that King Charles III will follow in his mother’s fantastic footsteps—and I have met him. Twenty years ago, he was already supporting a wide range of charities and he met ladies from the Moonwalk—a breast cancer charity walk—at Highgrove. If I have the privilege to meet our new monarch again, I may remind him that I was the one in the bra decorated as two strawberries.

May the late Queen rest in peace. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
Katherine Fletcher – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Katherine Fletcher, the Conservative MP for South Ribble, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

On behalf of my family, friends and the people of South Ribble, I wish to pay tribute to Her Majesty Elizabeth II. This is a sad loss and many people across South Ribble have been in touch with me, from Penwortham, Leyland, Croston, Tarleton and the surrounding villages. A theme within that, especially today, has been how deeply they have wanted to celebrate a remarkable life and a remarkable woman. If the House will bear with me, I should like to give two examples of why, to me, she was the epitome of that.

The Queen was a woman of global influence and respect, including in the Commonwealth, as my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Mole Valley (Sir Paul Beresford) mentioned. In an African Commonwealth country, people were sat around the fire and in that conversation we had represented New Zealand, Zulu, Australian, Shangaan, Afrikaans, English, French and American. The conversation turned to the Queen, and it is fair to say that not everybody understands our system and many questions were asked. Ultimately, a little voice said, in a Kiwi accent, “Oh, she’s like the ultimate pressure valve on your system.” That is what our constitutional monarchy is, and the Queen bore that on her shoulders since she was 25. It was a remarkable life and she was a remarkable woman.

More personal for me is the fact that in the 1980s, when I was growing up, we had a female Prime Minister, a Queen and even a lady in the Speaker’s Chair, and it did not occur to seven-year-old me that women were anything other than in charge. I am sure that given her famous sense of humour, which has come across in many of the contributions made here today, the Queen would have enjoyed my surprise at discovering, when I had grown up a little more, that it was not the norm for women to run everything. From a global icon to an inspiration for a little girl, wow, this was the one and only Queen. I might even say that she was the original Spice Girl. Was she the originator of girl power? It is possible. On behalf of all of us, what I can simply say is: thank you for everything. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
Jonathan Gullis – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by Jonathan Gullis, the Conservative MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.

It is with great sadness that I stand today, on behalf of the people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, to share in our collective grief at the loss of the grandmother of the nation, Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Like the constituencies of many across this House, Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke was blessed to host Her late Majesty the Queen on a few occasions. This went all the way back to 1949, when the then Princess visited the potteries, in the mother town of Burslem. She returned in 1955, visiting 30,000 excited schoolchildren at the old home of Stoke City football club, the Victoria Ground. She visited again in 1999, when she came to the Dudson Centre, meeting members of the touring Hallé orchestra.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) was right when he said that we allowed ourselves to believe Her late Majesty the Queen to be eternal. In preparation for this speech, I reflected on some words from the famous Stoke-on-Trent author Arnold Bennett, who said

“We shall never have more time. We have, and have always had, all the time there is.”

Bennett is right, in that we shall no longer have Her late Majesty the Queen as a physical presence in our lives—I have tried to explain that to my daughter Amelia, who, only on Tuesday, was on FaceTime to me while I was lucky enough sit here in this Palace of Westminster and was saying, “Daddy meet the Queen”—but Her late Majesty’s legacy will continue to live on forever, in generations yet to come. Her dedication to public service and duty, her national pride and her unwavering personal faith provide lessons for us all to pass down to our children and grandchildren, enabling us to help support her successor, our King, in taking us forward into the future, unsure of what lies ahead but collectively empowering us to stand shoulder to shoulder, undeterred in our love and belief in our United Kingdom. The people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, including me, give our heartfelt condolences to His Majesty King Charles III and his family at this time, for they have lost not only their Queen, but a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. As we pray that Her late Majesty the Queen lies in eternal peace and happiness, myself and the people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke wish to bear our true faith and allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III, as she would have wanted. God save the King.

September 11, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Ceremonial and events guidance following the death of Her Majesty The Queen – Sunday 11 September 2022

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 September 2022.

Scotland

10:00 – The Coffin of Her Late Majesty the Queen departs from Balmoral Castle for the journey to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

11:25 – The King’s Body Guard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers) and the Guard of Honour will march from the Castle Esplanade to the Mercat Cross.

11:50 – The main procession will make its way from Parliament House to the Mercat Cross.

12:00 – The Lord Lyon King of Arms will read the Proclamation to the people of Scotland. This will be followed by a 21 gun salute from Edinburgh Castle.

12:30 – The Procession will then make its way to Edinburgh Castle where the Lord Lyon will read the second Proclamation.

16:00 – The Coffin arrives at Holyroodhouse.

For more information visit www.gov.scot

Wales

12:00 – Proclamations read in Cardiff Castle.

For more information visit www.cardiff.gov.uk

Northern Ireland

12:00 – Proclamations read in Hillsborough Castle.

12:00 – Gun Salutes in Hillsborough Castle.

For more information visit https://www.hrp.org.uk/hillsborough-castle/

Royal Residences

For information on laying floral tributes at Royal Residences, including in London and Windsor visit https://www.royal.uk/mourning-and-condolence-arrangements-royal-residences

September 11, 2022