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  • Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    The speech made by Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the DUP, on 8 October 2022.

    Mr. Chairman, Party Colleagues, Distinguished Guests, Friends…

    I am delighted that after a three-year absence we have been able to come together for our Autumn Conference and to meet again following the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those who lost loved ones during this tumultuous period.

    I also want to express our sympathies to those families who have been bereaved in the tragic events in Donegal yesterday afternoon and those injured as a result of this explosion are foremost in our thoughts.

    We assure the people of Cresslough of our collective prayers and want them to know that they will continue to be in our thoughts in the days ahead.

    Much has happened since we last met together – we fought a General Election, we witnessed the re-establishment of the local Executive and Assembly after a three-year absence, we have lived through and emerged from the pandemic,

    we have celebrated the centenary of Northern Ireland and taken tough decisions in our opposition to the Protocol, fought an Assembly election and yes, at times, focused more on what divided us rather than what unites us.

    No-one ever said politics was predictable!

    In recent weeks we have been deeply saddened and powerfully moved by the loss of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

    Her passing has been felt intensely across Northern Ireland and our nation as a whole. We have all been truly blessed to live through her reign and we give thanks to God for her unwavering service to our United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

    As we look forward, we do so confidently, recognising that our new King, Charles III will reign mindful of the example set by Her late Majesty.

    Today as I stand before you, making my first conference speech as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, I do so humbled and thankful for the support you have given me since taking up this burden of responsibility.

    I am honoured to be your leader and your servant, and as we look to the future

    I again pledge that I will never take your trust or your labours for granted.

    As we have proved over many years, we work best when we work as a team.

    This party is at its best when we say what we mean and mean what we say. Currently and in this chapter of our history we are in such a time.

    I believe in public service and making a difference and in the time ahead my guiding principle will continue to be channeling all of my efforts and endeavours to work for the betterment of all the people – as we work to make Northern Ireland a better place.

    But most of all I – we – believe in the Union and we will never apologise for working to promote the benefits of the Union and to secure our position within the United Kingdom.

    I have said it before and it is worth repeating – my vision for unionism is a simple, positive and modern one.

    I believe in Northern Ireland and its people.

    I believe that Northern Ireland is best served by being part of the United Kingdom and that our four nations of the UK are together stronger than their constituent parts.

    In support of that Union, I want us to build a better Northern Ireland, not just for those who share our unionism, but for all our people.

    I want to build the broadest coalition of support for that vision from right across the community.

    A coalition which includes those of us whose support for the Union is based on a cultural, social and historic affinity with Great Britain and those whose support is grounded more in reason and realism of what is in the best interests for them and their families.

    For me unionism should have no barriers to entry beyond a belief that Northern Ireland is best served as a part of the UK.

    We want to make Northern Ireland a place of peace, stability and prosperity for all.

    We want to see Northern Ireland and its people making a full contribution to our national life – whether that be in public service, military service, the arts, sport,

    or the economic and business life of our nation.

    We look back with pride at the contribution and sacrifice made by Northern Ireland’s men and women over the last one hundred years.

    Equally, we look forward with confidence when we see that outside London,

    Northern Ireland is the top location in the United Kingdom for foreign direct investment… and we know that our strongest asset is the ingenuity of our people.

    While I celebrate the past and our many achievements, my unionism does not hanker on returning back to a bygone age but looks forward to a new era.

    However Conference, some of our friends, family and colleagues sacrificed their all to protect Northern Ireland and to give us our future.

    We will not allow their memories to be sullied by the re-writing of history and the attempted justification for violence.

    Let us as a conference send a clear message that murder and mayhem is never justified.

    There WAS ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE TO VIOLENCE.

    We meet at an opportune time in the political calendar.

    Before we look forward and set out how we will face the challenges ahead I want to thank each and every one of you who contributed to our election campaign

    in May.

    Once again we established ourselves as the undisputed voice of unionism in

    Northern Ireland.

    This is not a position we take for granted and we will work to further strengthen and build upon our position.

    To our talented DUP team of candidates who day after day knocked the doors on the campaign trail and fought for every vote, I salute you and thank you for all that was accomplished.

    Sadly not every candidate was elected and already we are focused on winning back seats lost to our opponents.

    It may be the candidates who take the plaudits but we all know that it is only made possible because of the hard work of the teams around them.

    The election marked a transition for our Party. Inevitably in politics, as in life,

    the baton of leadership and public service passes from one generation to the next.

    I want to put on record our sincere appreciation to Robin Newton, William Humphrey, Paula Bradley, George Robinson and Jim Wells for whom the 5th May marked the end of their service in the Assembly.

    I know that we were all saddened by the loss of Mervyn Storey in North Antrim and Peter Weir in Strangford but I want to thank them for their service and dedication to their constituents and our party.

    I am absolutely certain we have not seen the last of either Mervyn or Peter and I know that they have further significant contributions to make to public service and to our party.

    The election also opened a new chapter of public service for David Brooks, Phillip Brett, Brian Kingston, Alan Robinson and Diane Forsythe.

    They are welcome additions to our Assembly team as they join with colleagues who continue their service and who are seasoned in the public arena.

    Since our last conference in 2019 we have sadly felt the pain of loss within our Assembly group and our Party with the passing of Gordon Dunne and Christopher Stalford.

    We have also lost a number of faithful party members at all levels of our organisation including Alderman Junior McCrum, Councillor Paul Hamill and most recently Alderman John Finlay.

    These representatives all served their constituents with distinction for many years. We treasure our memories of them all and hope that even today their families will take comfort from the legacy of duty and service they have left us.

    We were delighted beyond measure to see Gordon’s son Stephen elected to represent North Down last May and to hear from him this morning.

    Whilst some so-called commentators would love to see this party obliterated, when you look at the young faces elected last May I’ve got bad news for those commentators – this Party has a strong future and unionism will be here when they are long gone.

    At Westminster your Parliamentary team, both in the Commons and the Lords, continues to actively speak up for the interests of Northern Ireland.

    Our ability to influence outcomes has been felt across a range of issues and most particularly, working with our DUP Ministers, we have been able to successfully press the Government on a range of cost-of-living measures to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the same level of support as those in the rest of the United Kingdom.

    Working for Northern Ireland at Westminster and making a real difference to the lives of people is perhaps best highlighted through the delivery of broadband.

    In 2017 we secured through the Confidence and Supply Agreement £150

    million of public investment that delivered fibre broadband to almost ninety thousand rural premises across Northern Ireland.

    Whilst Sinn Fein questioned the need for public money to be spent on high-speed broadband for rural dwellers this intervention has been the most transformative investment for our rural economy since the electricity network was extended.

    Northern Ireland at 82% full fibre broadband is already massively ahead of England on 67%, Scotland on 60%, Wales on 49% and the Republic of Ireland on 41%.

    At current build rates, by 2025, Northern Ireland will be the first country in these islands where fibre is available to 99% of our premises.

    Earlier this year the Financial Times ranked OECD countries by full-fibre rollout.

    Northern Ireland was beaten only by South Korea and Japan.

    This has not only provided essential connectivity to rural dwellers but makes Northern Ireland the best-connected place in these islands, and one of the best connected anywhere in the world – a key selling point to potential investors considering Northern Ireland as a place to establish a new or expanded business operation.

    Mr. Chairman, that was a project developed by the DUP in 2016. We secured the money from London in 2017 and our DUP Economy Ministers awarded the contract in 2020.

    While Sinn Fein continues to moan and criticise from the outer precincts of Westminster we are there seeking to make a real difference on the ground.

    Indeed, you would sometimes be forgiven for thinking that Sinn Fein hope the UK Government will not assist people here so that they can advance their own narrow political agenda.

    Just as during the hugely challenging days of the pandemic, the uncomfortable truth for some remains that it is the UK Government at Westminster that has the financial firepower and resources to adequately deal with the current cost of living squeeze.

    This is a key benefit of the Union and tackling the difficulties created by the cost of living will continue to be an absolute priority for the DUP.

    We understand the challenges that homes and businesses are facing and we will fight day and night to ensure they receive the support that they need.

    Over the last term of the Assembly our DUP Ministers and MLAs have been working to deliver on the policies and priorities that matter to the people of Northern Ireland.

    Our Ministers have made a significant contribution in shaping the work of the wider Executive as well as leading their respective departments.

    In the Economy Department our DUP Ministers secured £286.8 million for the roll out of the Economic Recovery Action Plan including delivering the £140 million

    High Street Voucher Scheme.

    This provided over 1.4m people with a pre-paid £100 card to help inject an economic stimulus to our High Streets and re-orientate people back to the

    High Street and away from online shopping trends.

    In Education our DUP Ministers have increased funding for some of our most vulnerable members of society with spend on children with Special Educational Needs rising by 77% during the last mandate.

    In the last Assembly term, we also introduced the most progressive School Starting Age legislation within the UK.

    In Agriculture and Environment our Minister distributed over £28m in Covid-19 business support to farm businesses – the most comprehensive package of support anywhere in the British Isles or Europe and delivered a £4m Rural Halls Refurbishment Scheme.

    Our team worked to introduce ground-breaking Climate Change legislation with balanced protections for agriculture and published a Green Growth Strategy.

    I thank Gordon, Michelle and Edwin for all of their hard work on delivering flagship programmes and initiatives for the betterment of everyone in

    Northern Ireland and indeed also to Paul, Diane, Peter, Paul and Gary for their significant contributions in Ministerial office.

    Conference, the outcome of May’s election must act as a wake-up call to unionists across Northern Ireland.

    It is vital that lessons are learned in its aftermath and before we return to the polls. Unionism won 44% of the seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

    As unionists, we must be honest with one another; it wasn’t nationalists or others who caused the loss of several pro-Union seats at the election.

    That was the direct result of a splintered unionism where seats were lost in Strangford, North Antrim and East Antrim.

    Each of those constituencies had four unionist quotas yet in each constituency only three unionists were elected. This is not sustainable if we want to win.

    It is no good talking about the theory that you cannot split the vote in a PR election when the real-world evidence shows pro-Union representation weakened because of those splinters and divisions within the Pro-Union family.

    Those of us in this room are mature enough to know that delivering a more cohesive unionism cannot be achieved by attacking fellow unionists. It requires co-operation and effort from all who want to strengthen our place within the Union.

    Everywhere I go, I get one consistent message from unionists, they want us to work together. They see that fractured unionism cost seats, and just five months ago gifted victories to our opponents.

    Whilst some are content to manufacture arguments with fellow unionists, I am not.

    I have more in common with my unionist brothers and sisters than that which divides us.

    This Party believes in unionists working together and we stand ready to work

    in common purpose with fellow unionists from other parties, and none,

    as together we promote the benefits of the Union.

    As your leader I will leave no stone unturned in my quest to build the unity of unionists that our people are crying out for.

    We have a shared belief in being part of this great United Kingdom.

    We all cheer the British Team in the Olympics; we are immensely proud of our Armed Forces, and we all get the tingle in our spine as the National Anthem is played and the Union Flag is raised.

    We are not just unionists because we were born here.

    We are not just unionists because we support our constitutional monarchy.

    We are not just unionists because the United Kingdom has an international standing in the G7, the UN Security Council and NATO.

    We are unionists because it makes economic sense to be part of one of the biggest economies in the world.

    We are unionists because we cherish the National Health Service.

    And we are unionists because we love the United Kingdom and its diversity.

    We can be Northern Irish and British.

    We can be Scottish or Welsh and British.

    And yes, we can be Irish and British.

    Membership of the United Kingdom gives Northern Ireland, with a population of

    less than two million people, a place on the world stage.

    Let’s remember the benefits of the United Kingdom.

    Let’s remember those who came before us, who fought hard and sacrificed all in the cause of freedom and liberty in our nation’s darkest hour.

    Being part of the Union is good for everyone in Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland is good for the United Kingdom.

    We shouldn’t be afraid to make the case for the Union at every opportunity

    and as we move forward, we will work collectively to do so using every opportunity available both at home as well as beyond our shores.

    The case for leaving the UK is based on economic myths and fantasy politics;

    but the political facts of life are unionist.

    Conference, it is in our unity that we can find our strength.

    ———————

    In less than seven months we will be fighting the local council elections across the

    eleven councils in Northern Ireland.

    DUP Councillors in each area are the grass roots of the Party, the unsung heroes who are on the front-line when it comes to serving the needs of people in every rural district, hamlet, village, town and city across Northern Ireland.

    As this council term draws to a close we thank all our councillors for their efforts and their sacrifices.

    For those who have already indicated their wish to retire we are forever indebted to you for your years of service, often standing in the gap at a time when few others would do so and when times were tough.

    We will field a strong team of candidates, representing experience as well as fresh faces, who will go forward committed to delivering on our manifesto commitments and ensuring the most efficient use of rate-payers money whilst delivering every-day front line services in their council area.

    Sadly in some of our council areas the voices and views of unionists have been marginalised in the cause of Republican triumphalism.

    We are determined to continue putting a spotlight on such shameful behaviour and to speak up for unionists in those areas.

    As you heard from our council representatives on the panel this morning we will be able to present a strong DUP record of achievement as we campaign for a

    fresh mandate in the run up to the May 2023

    council poll.

    Mr. Chairman, this party worked hard to re-negotiate and restore devolution in 2006 and 2007 because we believed it was better to bring decision-making closer to the people.

    In those days devolution laid the foundations for peace and prosperity. It allowed us to change the image of Northern Ireland from a place known for conflict to one that has so much to offer. We can look back with pride at much of what was accomplished.

    Today when you look around you will see that Northern Ireland is a place transformed.

    No matter how difficult politics has been, devolved government has allowed Northern Ireland to prosper.

    I still believe in devolved government but I’m realistic enough to recognise that it has suffered serious reputational damage in recent years.

    Our system of government is far from perfect, and needs further measured reform, but we believe in the principle of devolution.

    I don’t need to tell you that many of the decisions that we have objected to most over the last ten years have not been taken at Stormont but at Westminster.

    I think particularly of abortion. In just a matter of hours, MPs in Westminster changed Northern Ireland from being one of the safest places for the unborn to being one of the most dangerous places in Europe.

    Anyone who believes that having no say in our future is a recipe for success simply hasn’t learnt the lessons of history.

    A fully functioning devolved government, built on solid foundations and working with London can make Northern Ireland a better place by fixing our health service, by building more schools, by training more GPs and by helping working families through the provision of better childcare support.

    However, the structures of Government at Stormont can only work with the support and buy in of unionists and nationalists.

    The imposition of the Protocol upon Northern Ireland has damaged and undermined the workings of our institutions.

    They cannot work without the restoration of the delicate political balance negotiated over many years and which has been disrupted by the Protocol.

    In February of this year, after repeated warnings and the exhausting of patience we withdrew our First Minster.

    For over two years we urged the Government to get a better deal, only to be repeatedly rebuffed by the EU and told the Protocol was the only show in town and was not open for renegotiation.

    On 1 July last year I warned that devolution and the Protocol were not compatible.

    Again, on 9 September last year I repeated my warning. I do so again today.

    When a trade border, a steel border, a pet border, a guide-dog border,

    a frozen food border, a plant border, a VAT border, a medicine border,

    a passenger border, a grocery border and a soil border were erected between

    Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, then of course it was going to devastate political relationships and the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland.

    Every day Northern Ireland is subjected to some new Protocol problem that bedevils a business or a consumer.

    This is not a unionist question or a nationalist question. Equally it is not a question of either addressing the Protocol or addressing the cost-of-living crisis.

    The Protocol is making a massive contribution to that cost-of-living crisis.

    At a time when households and businesses can least afford it, haulage costs between GB and Northern Ireland have risen by nearly 30% as a direct result of the Protocol.

    Under the Protocol, there is a 25% tariff on the steel used to build our schools, roads, hospitals, and houses if the steel comes from Great Britain.

    The trade friction between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is fuelling the

    cost-of-living crisis locally as well as restricting consumer choice.

    The reality is that the Protocol is driving up the cost of living for every single household in Northern Ireland.

    That is why this party will work relentlessly to have this burden removed.

    During the election campaign we were honest with the electorate that the Protocol represented an existential threat to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the Union and that it must be replaced by arrangements that fully restored Northern Ireland’s place within the UK Internal Market.

    The strong mandate that we received in the election has caused others to recognise the validity of our position and to act.

    As such, we welcomed and supported the introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill at Westminster.

    If fully enacted, this legislation has the potential to provide the solution that will free Northern Ireland from the grip of the Protocol and restore our rights as British citizens to trade freely with the rest of our own nation under Article 6 of the Acts of Union.

    We also meet at a time when the UK Government has recommenced talks with the EU on the Protocol. As a party we welcome those talks and wish those involved well.

    The issue of which route is travelled – whether the talks with the EU are successful or whether the Protocol Bill at Westminster becomes law is not the dominant question.

    For us what is important is the destination reached.

    Let me be clear – either the Prime Minister delivers the provisions of the Protocol Bill by legislation or by negotiation and ensures that our place in the United Kingdom is restored… or there will be no basis to re-enter Stormont.

    On this issue it is not words but actions we need to see and we will judge any outcome on the basis of actions not words.

    Some lay great emphasis on cutting the number of checks on goods entering

    Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

    If that were to happen they say all our problems would be sorted notwithstanding that the Protocol has not yet been fully implemented.

    The truth of course is that the checks on the Irish Sea border are the symptom of the underlying problem namely that Northern Ireland is subject to a different set of laws imposed upon us by a foreign entity without any say or vote by any elected representative of the people of Northern Ireland.

    As Great Britain has secured its freedom to de-regulate or move in a different direction of travel on aid or taxation Northern Ireland is going to constantly face new barriers because we are tied to a different set of laws.

    That is simply not sustainable and is incompatible with devolution, which requires the support of unionists as well as nationalists if it is to function.

    For the benefit of those watching in London and Brussels, let me restate our clear commitment.

    If decisive action is taken on the Protocol that restores our place fully within the United Kingdom, this Party will take its place once again in a fully functioning Executive.

    Conference, I know, and you know, we have the support of many thousands across Northern Ireland who want us to prevail on this most fundamental issue.

    We do not fear the prospect of a fresh election, far from it. If in the absence of his government righting the wrongs visited upon Northern Ireland the Secretary of State calls an Assembly election… we are ready and we will take our case to the people as the lead party of unionism.

    We will campaign as never before to secure a further fresh mandate from the people.

    The Government needs to tread sensitively and act wisely if they wish to see unionist confidence rebuilt and the conditions created for durable power sharing.

    The prize of moving on from the long shadow of the Northern Ireland Protocol is great.

    The prize is not just for unionism but for all of Northern Ireland and it is not just for the UK but for the EU as well.

    Just imagine how future arrangements could transform relationships within Northern Ireland, throughout the United Kingdom and with our nearest neighbours in the Republic of Ireland.

    With the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast Agreement fast approaching, surely this is the position all governments and parties will want to be in?

    When we come through these current challenges, I want to see a period of renewed focus on the everyday issues that matter.

    We want to work with others collectively so we can implement our plan for the

    health service and get on with delivering help for working families and creating more and better jobs.

    But first we must secure the solid foundations for moving forward and clear away the debris of the Protocol years. We need to restore the cross-community consensus that is essential for the political institutions to function and to succeed.

    Colleagues, in the coming weeks we may be tested as never before.

    Let us not be found wanting but rather rise to the challenges ahead so that when future generations look back on this period, they will be able to say of us that our legacy was not based on short-term fixes but on the long-term solutions we secured for all the people in Northern Ireland.

    For when we do that, this party will succeed, but more importantly Northern Ireland will succeed and the Union will endure.

  • John Shipley – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Shipley)

    John Shipley – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Shipley)

    The tribute made by John Shipley, Baron Shipley, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, like many, I remember watching the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 on a small black and white television. As we have heard, the world today is very different from the world of that post-war period. But, although it has changed dramatically, the values of our society have remained constant, as our new King reminded us last night. The Queen promoted those values through her absolute commitment to parliamentary government, through her dedication and sense of service, through her loyalty and through her resilience.

    Among her many achievements, two stand out for me. First, she was our Head of State, with a clear constitutional role. She was an extremely successful Head of State, understanding the requirements and limitations of the role. But, in truth, she was something more: she was the head of our nation. She reflected us—our country, our people and our society—and she knew when to provide support, such as in the recent pandemic. She had the gift of being able to bring people together—witness her visits to Germany and Ireland and the symbolic importance that those visits had.

    Secondly, when she sensed a need for change, she made it happen—for example, in managing our transition from Empire to the Commonwealth, whose current strength owes so much to her leadership, as we have heard. She became the most widely travelled Head of State in the world, which I feel is a tribute to her resolution to build the Commonwealth.

    Her Majesty visited my home city of Newcastle upon Tyne on many occasions to undertake official engagements. I remember her opening Eldon Square shopping centre on her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and distributing the royal Maundy money in St Nicholas Cathedral in 1990. She opened several of Tyneside’s major infrastructure projects, such as the Metro and the A1 western bypass. She also opened our new city library and the Great North Museum. In Gateshead in recent years, she opened the Gateshead Millennium Bridge and Sage Gateshead. I was present at many of these visits and several things stood out: her genuine interest in what she was seeing, her desire to learn from those she was meeting and, when she did walkabouts in the city centre, the happiness with which she was greeted by the thousands of people who had made the journey to welcome her. I remember their cheering, the flags and the flowers, which always made for a memorable occasion.

    When her father died, the Queen promised to devote her life to the service of our country, but, as the King pointed out last night, it was her personal commitment that defined her life. It was not just a promise; it was 70 years of personal commitment. So we express our profound sorrow on Her Majesty the Queen’s death. We thank her for her lifetime of service and achievement. To our new King, we express our loyalty and support.

  • Michael Berkeley – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Berkeley of Knighton)

    Michael Berkeley – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Berkeley of Knighton)

    The tribute made by Michael Berkeley, Baron Berkeley of Knighton, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, I will talk about music, but will concentrate largely on animals, which were so loved by our late Queen, as we have already heard from all around your Lordships’ House. It is a great honour and privilege to be able to pay tribute to such a much-loved monarch.

    I was fortunate to serve on the committee for the Queen’s Medal for Music and repeatedly saw how the Queen embraced nervous recipients and talked at length, putting them at ease and making them feel comfortable. They were all charmed. On one occasion, sitting next to Her Majesty during a fiendishly difficult piano piece with fistfuls of notes, we remarked how three hands would really be useful. The soloist departed, came back to take a bow and stumbled as she came on to the stage. There followed the observation: “Three feet would be good too.”

    From three feet, to four: the royal corgis, of which we have heard much—they would expect nothing less—were always put to dutiful use. We have heard examples of it. It is quite a clever use of these animals. I make no excuse for repeating a story some noble Lords will already have heard. On my BBC Radio 3 programme, “Private Passions” and in his book, the war surgeon David Nott recalled how, returning from Syria and in a state of terrible post-traumatic stress, he was placed next to the Queen at a lunch at Buckingham Palace.

    Her Majesty said, “Tell me about things in Aleppo now.” David was in such a completely paralysed state that he found himself unable to speak. Sensing his hurt, the insightful monarch summoned a footman to fetch the biscuit tin. She passed the tin to David, who, momentarily, in his confusion, thought this was a royal command to eat one of the dog biscuits. He then realised that he was being invited to feed the aforementioned quadrupeds. As, now distracted, he did so, the Queen touched his hand, saying, “Now, that’s better, isn’t it?” Her Majesty had, through her insight, rescued and relaxed him and set free his tongue.

    The Queen had a much-loved red Labrador called Sandringham Sydney. As chairman of the Royal Ballet governors, I had to write an annual report to our royal patron. I could not resist naughtily adding a handwritten postscript:

    “On another matter, arguably of less national importance, I have a red descendant of Sandringham Sydney who has produced puppies and my brother-in-law is so besotted with his puppy that he dreamed he put him down for Eton.”

    I had two letters back. One rather formally acknowledged the Royal Ballet report, but the other was clearly revelling in the concept of putting a dog down for Eton. I loved the idea that my missive was replied to with two compartmentalised communications—the formal and the humorously canine. From then on, whenever I met Her Majesty, the problems of preserving and continuing that red colour through the work of the Sandringham kennelman would be a welcome byway from the usual niceties of retrograde inversion and music that perhaps were a little difficult to comprehend on occasion.

    Let us move on to another favoured creature. It is a great sadness to me personally that my brother-in-law, Michael Bond, did not live to see Paddington Bear—his creation—charm the nation and Her Majesty. Was not that sequence a wonderful example of the great sense of fun that Her Majesty had? Her sense of mischief and delight in the absurd, which she bequeathed to her children, underlined her ability to connect with people and laugh at the unforeseen.

    Finally, has not the Queen somehow continued her benevolent influence, as parliamentarians here and in the other place have, in my humble opinion, risen above themselves to make such eloquent and moving tributes? So too did our new King, Charles III, passionately. Long live the King.

  • Eric Pickles – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Pickles)

    Eric Pickles – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Pickles)

    The tribute made by Eric Pickles, Lord Pickles, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, as a schoolboy, I read The Queens and the Hive by Dame Edith Sitwell. The book describes the court of Queen Elizabeth I. There is a description of her Privy Council, towards the end of her reign, facing fear and confusion over what a change of sovereign would mean. Even the oldest counsellor on the Privy Council had known only one monarch. The Privy Council of Good Queen Bess was much smaller than the one I joined in 2010, but I can sympathise with the dilemma. I have just celebrated my 70th birthday but on the day I was born, the Queen was already on the Throne. She is the only monarch I have ever known; my grandparents’ generation would live through six different sovereigns.

    The late Queen was born into a turbulent world. Britain was recovering from the First World War, the Russian civil war was barely over, European royal families were dropping like ninepins and revolution was everywhere. We know that this story ends happily, but it was not preordained. Our country could easily have slipped into becoming a republic. It did not because of the way the monarchy adapted to the modern world. Admittedly, the modern monarchy was built on her grandfather’s good sense and her father’s example of public service, but the modern monarchy is now built around her late Majesty’s sense of duty and service; it is in her image.

    Her late Majesty led by example and was keen to push good causes along. I have had personal experience of this latter point. In 2005 she became the patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and stayed for a full 10 years. His Majesty King Charles III replaced her as patron when he was the Prince of Wales. He has proved to be equally enthusiastic and generous with his time. I should declare I am the vice-president of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

    Her late Majesty learned about the horrors of the Nazis as a teenager. She had a deep appreciation of the importance of survivors. In 2015, 70 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, she reminded us:

    “Many refugees and survivors of the camps and ghettoes found a home in the United Kingdom and have given us their energy and commitment.”

    To the surprise of many at a Holocaust memorial event in 2005 at St James’s Palace, she broke with royal protocol to mingle with survivors. We have a description of what happened from a friend of many in this Chamber, the late Rabbi Lord Sacks:

    “One of her attendants said that he had never known her to linger so long after her scheduled departure. She gave each survivor—it was a large group—her focused, unhurried attention. She stood with each until they had finished telling their personal story.”

    At this reception, the Roma and Sinti were included for the first time; two Romany survivors were presented to Her Majesty.

    In 2015, Her late Majesty visited Bergen-Belsen, where 50,000 prisoners were murdered by violence and neglect. She was accompanied by her beloved husband the Duke of Edinburgh. They walked together among the mounds of the mass graves. There was no pomp or ceremony of any kind. The BBC movingly described them as

    “just a couple from the wartime generation taking their time to reflect and to pay their respects.”

    On the visit, the royal pair met one of the liberators of the camp, the former pilot Captain Eric Brown. The Queen asked him what sorts of scenes greeted the British troops when he arrived. He said:

    “I told her this was just a field of corpses … She was listening very carefully. I would say she was quite affected by the atmosphere here.”

    For many survivors, the Queen and the Royal Family are synonymous with the welcome they received in the UK. Let one of them speak for them all. Joan Salter MBE said:

    “I came to the UK as a child survivor of the Holocaust in 1947 and I remember the excitement surrounding the Queen’s coronation. For someone who came from so much upheaval and trauma, the Queen has been an important symbol of wisdom and stability for me.”

    Many of us could say the same thing.

    Our late Queen now rests in the arms of the Almighty. She may do so with the certainty that her legacy of duty and service is safe and secure. God save the King.

  • Donald Anderson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Anderson of Swansea)

    Donald Anderson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Anderson of Swansea)

    The tribute made by Donald Anderson, Baron Anderson of Swansea, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, la reine est morte, vive le roi. We have had such a wealth of personal stories illustrating the humility of Her Majesty, her warmth and her faith. My own immediate memory, alas, is of shame to me. I was sitting next but one to her at a Commonwealth conference in Westminster Hall when, alas, my mobile phone went off and I was the subject of a well-deserved regal stare, which stayed with me for a very long time.

    Historians will see the last week as the end of an era, the like of which we shall not see again. The new King faces formidable tasks. He will have little difficulty in improving on the record of Charles I and Charles II, but he will have extreme difficulty in following in the footsteps of his beloved and late mother, in spite of his unprecedentedly long apprenticeship. For a person with strong and controversial views, many of which I share, he will have difficulty in not airing them in public but will seek inspiration from the discretion of his late mother and her serene sense of duty. Where she did have strong views, the only ones she could express in public related to horses, family and her corgi dogs.

    One feature which has been mentioned, particularly by the noble Lord, Lord Alderdice, was that the late Queen was a great reconciler. If we think back to the 2011 visit of Her Majesty to Dublin, no politician could have achieved what she did at Croke Park and in Dublin Castle when she put a veil over all the troubles of the past and paved the way for a much warmer relationship with our cousins in the Republic of Ireland. History will certainly see her as one of the greatest monarchs—possibly the greatest, as the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, said, suggesting that perhaps she should be named “Elizabeth the Great”. As a Welshman, I much prefer the precedent of Hywel Dda—Hywel the Good. Perhaps, given her many superlative moral qualities, “Elizabeth the Good” might be a far better title for her. She was part of the glue keeping together the Commonwealth and our union, both of which are suffering the possibility of great turbulence in the future.

    I recall that in 1986 I was at Lancaster House when the Commonwealth was in danger of dividing over apartheid and South Africa. It was her own role which helped to heal that. She was so sure-footed in allowing her views on South Africa and apartheid to be aired not publicly but through intermediaries, who made clear her own concerns about the future of the Commonwealth.

    The Crown is a symbol of our unity as a United Kingdom. It is conceivable that over the next decade or so there will be unprecedented strains on the position of Scotland— and possibly of Wales—within the union, and of course also in the Commonwealth. Ireland may indeed be reunited as an island over that period, and it will require great skill by the new monarch to navigate a path to meet these many challenges.

    I notice my noble and learned friend Lord Morris of Aberavon is here and know of the role he played at the investiture in 1967 in Caernarfon Castle. As a Welshman who also attended, I recognise the role which the late Queen played in the life of the Principality. I rejoice that we have a new Prince of Wales and hope that he will follow well in the footsteps of his predecessor, the current King. The late Queen won the hearts of the people of Wales with the human sympathy she showed in the tragedy of Aberfan, as my noble friend Lady Andrews said so well.

    At a time of great solemnity, perhaps I might introduce a moment of levity which illustrates at the same time the depth of love for the Queen in my own native Swansea. It happened during a royal celebration—it was probably the Golden Jubilee—when there were many street parties with flags and bunting all around. One good lady on a council estate had painted her house red, white and blue. I stood alongside her on the pavement, looking at her house, and she said to me gravely, “Mr Anderson, we may not pay our rent but we are loyal.” That perhaps summed up part of the view in those parts.

    We recognise that we owe a great deal of gratitude to the late Queen for her life of service, including her service to Wales. She will live for ever in our memories as a pillar of faith. Her belief in God allowed her to view all the events of the day in the perspective of eternity. What an example, which we trust King Charles will now follow. We will stand alongside him as he faces many challenges. May God’s blessing be upon him. Long live the King.

  • Rachel Treweek – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Bishop of Gloucester)

    Rachel Treweek – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Lord Bishop of Gloucester)

    The tribute made by Rachel Treweek, the Lord Bishop of Gloucester, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, we have heard many wonderful tributes to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Like others, I want to give thanks for her life of service, love and humility, rooted in her faith in Jesus Christ. I am delighted that the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of York mentioned those jigsaws and those barbecues in winter. The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of London, in a moving and poignant way, mentioned the experience of paying homage. I want to add one slightly amusing story to the wealth of tributes that relate to paying homage because, as has been said, our late Queen had an amazing smile and a great sense of humour.

    As with all diocesan bishops, after I was announced as Bishop of Gloucester, I went to Buckingham Palace to pay homage. I was the first female diocesan bishop she had ever received and there was a certain amount of fluttering before the doors opened about whether I should curtsy or bow, wearing my robes. Just before we went in when, as usual, the Bible was being carried in on a cushion open at the verse I had chosen, I was told that I would be asked to kiss the Bible at the appropriate moment. There were a few moments of anxiety as I said, “I can’t possibly do that”, and some anxious glances as if there was some deep theological reason why I would not kiss this amazing Bible. I simply said, “I’m wearing lipstick”; that had never been experienced before. I was told simply to put my nose into it, which is what I did.

    After the formalities of paying homage, she immediately put me at my ease and, as we chatted, spoke to me about being the first female diocesan bishop. Rather amusingly, she said that her husband Philip wondered what on earth my husband would do, and indeed what the husbands of other bishops would do. I found that rather amusing because I thought of all people in the country who should know what the husband of a bishop would do, one was the Duke of Edinburgh.

    At this time of huge loss and mourning, I give such thanks to God for a life well lived—a life of faith and love. I recall the verse I chose that day of paying homage was from the Gospel of John, and it is one that the Queen lived. In Jesus Christ’s words to his followers: “Abide in me”. She did and she does. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. God save the King.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to 2BS FORUM in Montenegro

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2022 Speech to 2BS FORUM in Montenegro

    The speech made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 8 October 2022.

    Dear friends!

    Mr. Presidents!

    Thank you for this opportunity to address the members and guests of your security forum.

    Security is a key issue of our time. And, without exaggeration, everything depends on what answer we offer now.

    Not only our state institutions, our sovereignty, borders, and political system depend on it. It is literally about life. About peace for all of us.

    For the first time in many decades, we found ourselves in such conditions when we have to defend the right to life for our nations. Not just one or another living conditions, not just one or another concept for life in Europe or in certain regions, but life itself.

    Russia’s war against Ukraine is only a harbinger of what can await any state on our continent or in other parts of the world that this aggressor can reach.

    And I am grateful to everyone who understands the meaning of Russian aggression and helps us – us as ourselves.

    So, analyzing the elements of the Russian war against our state and the specific steps of the aggressor, we can draw conclusions about what forms and methods of protection we need for the sake of security.

    The first is unity. This is the foundation. This is something that should always be not only formally, but also in essence. Not only at summits, but also in deeds. Not only with those with whom you are used to cooperating, but with everyone whose values are common and whose way of life is freedom.

    Russia is afraid of our unity. So it goes to great lengths to break it.

    But we are only strengthening our unity. And therefore, we cannot be conquered by Russia. Neither Ukraine, nor Montenegro, nor any other state of the free world.

    Where real unity is achieved, there will be peace. Just as it will be in Ukraine.

    The second is democracy. This is our character. We can see that the current leaders of Russia have an obsessive desire to break the principle of democratic change of power in all countries regarding which they have aggressive ambitions.

    They do not recognize the results of elections and people’s movements when they lose influence because of them. And they try to stage coups or corrupt the political process when they choose a puppet to represent their interests. We have to strictly oppose this.

    All European states must dismantle any Russian networks of influence. So that there is no spread of misinformation, corruption and criminal politics. It is no less important for the Balkans than for our part of Europe.

    The third is independence. We should recognize the obvious at all levels in Europe and the world: Russia is not a threat to one, but to everyone. Therefore, everyone must achieve complete independence from Russia, so that it cannot turn dependence on it into shackles: economic dependence, energy dependence, political dependence – any.

    The fourth is weapons. It sounds a little unusual in Europe, but now we see what kind of war Russia can make literally out of nothing.
    Russia can block the sea for a country it wants to capture. It can burn cities and villages. It can arrange missile terror.

    Look at the intensity of the war we are now waging for our defense. Take a look – and you will be able to estimate the amount of weapons that may be needed for defense in such a war, if Russia turns the territory of another country into a battlefield.

    No matter how difficult it may be, we must ensure for Ukraine now, so that we can restore peace to all its citizens, and for Europe after this war such a volume of weapons, such a power of weapons, that Russia will never again have the desire to destroy peace.

    And the fifth point is responsibility. For many years, the head of Russia and his entourage have felt complete impunity.

    They destroyed democracy in their country. And they began to destroy everything around Russia. They are used to stealing what they like and buying those who were supposed to protect the national interests of this or that state from them.

    They started a war against Ukraine in 2014 because they felt that they would not be punished for it. The war against Georgia showed them this.

    They carried out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, because they do not believe that the world will be able to hold them accountable not just for the crime of aggression against a sovereign state, but for any crime imaginable.

    So to bring them to justice is to guarantee long-term peace after this war. The inevitability of punishment is one of the key principles of criminal justice. And we must apply this principle to the Russian leadership as they deserve it.

    Ladies and Gentlemen!

    Dear friends!

    We must strengthen our alliances and cooperation. We must get rid of all kinds of dependence on Russia.

    We must ensure that we have sufficient weapons and effectiveness to provide full protection in the air, on land, at sea, and in cyberspace – in this war that Russia is already waging against Ukraine, and in any new war if Russia wants to expand hostilities now or to repeat the aggression in the future.

    By the way, all this is taken into account in our proposals for updating the security architecture of Ukraine and Europe, which we presented. And I ask all of you to familiarize yourself with the draft Kyiv Security Compact, which can become a fundamental prerequisite for peace in Eastern Europe.

    And, finally, punishment for aggression.

    Sanctions against Russia are mandatory. They should not just act, but regularly be intensified so that the aggressor state does not have time to adapt. I am grateful to everyone who supports such a policy!

    And I am grateful to everyone who works together with us to ensure that every Russian murderer and torturer receives a legal punishment.
    I have no doubts about the victory of Ukraine. We can restore peace and freedom to the entire Ukrainian territory. The successes of our warriors on the frontline prove this.

    But I want to be able to say that I do not doubt the complete security of Europe and each of our nations after this war. This is also possible. We know the right answers to the key question of our time, and therefore there will be peace.

    I thank you for your attention!

    Thank you for your support!

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Anne McIntosh – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness McIntosh of Pickering)

    Anne McIntosh – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness McIntosh of Pickering)

    The tribute made by Anne Caroline Ballingall McIntosh, Baroness McIntosh of Pickering, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, I am afraid it is very hard to know where one comes in the pecking order in this debate, so I apologise to anyone who feels that I have stepped ahead of them.

    The impact of Her late Majesty’s death has been immense, as we have heard in this debate and beyond. We are all diminished, shocked and thrown off balance by the loss of such a key figure in our life, the life of the nation and indeed the world. Our thoughts are with her family and especially with His Majesty the King, who is assuming his onerous new role at a time of great personal sadness. His first address to us all was profoundly affecting. For me, as he spoke those words from the end of “Hamlet”, in my head I heard the opening chords of another farewell, doubtless familiar to many of your Lordships: the “Angel’s Farewell” from Elgar’s setting of Cardinal Newman’s “The Dream of Gerontius”:

    “Softly and gently, dearly-ransomed soul,

    In my most loving arms I now enfold thee”.

    The King, who I believe has long understood the consoling power of great art, will need our love as well as our allegiance as he takes up his duties.

    I was born in the reign of King George VI and, indeed, attended his lying in state in 1952 when I was a very small child. I am not entirely sure why my father thought it appropriate to bring one so young to queue on Westminster Bridge in the February fog, and to be honest I do not remember much about it, but I am glad I have the photograph to prove that I was there.

    What I absolutely remember is going over a year later to the pub in our village to watch Her late Majesty’s coronation on television. I had never seen a television before. The screen was tiny and the room was hot and crowded, but none the less the grandeur and magic of the ceremony came through clearly. Although I have watched it many times since, that first impression stays with me of a radiant young woman at the centre of a magnificent piece of theatre embarking on a lifetime of service—and, my word, what a lifetime it turned out to be.

    I shall speak very briefly, because much that needed to be said has already been said, mostly by the noble Baroness, Lady Bull, about the Queen’s relationship with the arts, particularly with the theatre, where she was closely involved with the two organisations with which my I spent most of my professional life: the Royal Shakespeare Company, of which she was patron from the granting of its royal charter in 1961 until her death, and the Royal National Theatre, where she was recently succeeded as patron by the Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Consort. Her Majesty’s patronage was hugely important to those organisations, as indeed it was to the whole cultural sector, which benefited so much from her interest and support.

    I was privileged to meet her several times. I was going to share an anecdote, as so many noble Lords have done, but in the interests of brevity I have decided not to. Maybe there will be another time; noble Lords will just have to wait and see. What I wanted to say is that monarchy must be performed, as Shakespeare knew very well. I think Her Majesty was one of the great performers of our age. She famously said, “I have to be seen to be believed.” She knew that convincing performance is never about faking or pretending; it is about embodying truth. Throughout her life she had an unfailing capacity to understand exactly who she needed to be in every different circumstance, from great occasions of state through to taking on, as we have heard referenced so many times, an animatronic bear, and completely upstaging him with quietly impeccable comic timing.

    She knew how to scale up and to scale down. She understood the diversity of her audiences and could adapt to their different needs while remaining always essentially herself. This ability was partly a natural gift, certainly, but also, as with all great performers, the result of meticulous preparation and unremitting hard work. As we saw, Her Majesty never stopped working at it right up until the end. She was and will remain an example to us all. May she rest in peace.

  • Nosheena Mobarik – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Mobarik)

    Nosheena Mobarik – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baroness Mobarik)

    The tribute made by Nosheena Mobarik, Baroness Mobarik, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, I offer His Majesty King Charles and the whole of the Royal Family my deepest condolences on the passing of their mother, Her most inspiring Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As many noble Lords have said, this day was inevitable, but somehow we never expected it to happen. In recent times, knowing of Her Majesty’s ill health, I would assure myself that she would live until at least 110, so it was a tremendous shock to hear the sad news on Thursday evening that Her Majesty had indeed passed away in her beloved home in Scotland.

    She was a constant presence. I remember as a little girl seeing this beautiful lady on the television and on the covers of magazines and newspapers, far more glamorous than any movie star and with such grace, elegance and dignity. Later in life, when I had the great honour of meeting Her Majesty—wonderfully, on more than one occasion—her kindness and informality made those moments very special, despite being nerve-wracking at the same time.

    It was always clear that her family were uppermost in her mind. In 2006, when I was invited to Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty for an intimate lunch for 12, I remember that when she spoke with me and the other two ladies invited in the drawing room prior to lunch, she immediately told us how upset she was that her lovely granddaughter Zara had fallen from her horse and really hurt herself. It was the heart-warming concern of a grandmother, just like any other. Similarly, on my going to see Her Majesty formally before taking up the position of Government Whip in 2016 along with two other colleagues, she spoke about her uncle Fergus Bowes-Lyon, who had died in the First World War, and how it had taken 100 years until the whereabouts of his body were finally confirmed. There was no attempt to hide the deep sadness, but a willingness to share that common humanity that binds us all and to share those emotions of love, loss and grief.

    On the last occasion when I met her, it became apparent to me that here was a person of infinite wisdom and kindness, the sort of wisdom and kindness that are etched on the faces of great spiritual beings. She left an impression on all who met her, even those who had only seen her from afar or on their television screens.

    There was the greatest admiration for her from every part of the Commonwealth and beyond. My parents, who came to this country from the Commonwealth, had the greatest respect and affection for Her Majesty. My late father-in-law was strong and successful in his youth, but in his mid-90s, as his memory dimmed, he could not quite remember even the name of his own son. Still, when his son visited him in Pakistan, he said, “Young man, you come from London. There is a lady there, the Queen. She is a wonderful woman.” That was the one outstanding and lasting memory that he had of his time living in Britain.

    Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s devotion and service to her country and people is a legacy of epic proportions. May she rest in peace, and may King Charles III have a long, happy and illustrious reign.

  • Richard Wilson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Wilson of Dinton)

    Richard Wilson – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II (Baron Wilson of Dinton)

    The tribute made by Richard Wilson, Baron Wilson of Dinton, in the House of Lords on 10 September 2022.

    My Lords, I am very grateful for this opportunity to pay tribute to the late Queen. I ask myself why I was so moved and so saddened when I heard the news on Thursday; there are two things that stand out for me. One is that, ever since I was a small boy in south Wales in the dark 1940s, the Royal Family has been for me a beacon of probity, leadership and something very magical; that has been through my life. President Obama once said he felt that he was a screen on which the American people projected their deep-felt longings. That is certainly true of the Queen and explains a lot of the emotion we all have.

    Secondly, as head of the Civil Service, I was privileged to meet the Queen on a number of occasions. I will not say I knew her, but I have talked to her. I developed huge respect as she carried an enormous load; the new King will carry it. For me, it is about the constitution. The monarch is still, in our strange way of doing things, the source of all power. He or she dissolves and summons Parliament, approves legislation, appoints Prime Ministers and Ministers, heads the Armed Forces, the courts service and the prisons and, of course, is head of the Civil Service, both diplomatic and civil. As a civil servant, I served her for 36 years. My duty was to Ministers, but my service was to the monarch.

    I think anecdotes are the best way of passing on this kind of memory. I have a few, but I will cut them short. One is that, soon after I became Cabinet Secretary, I was invited to stay at Windsor Castle and, after dinner, Her Majesty took me to the library and showed me the then Prime Minister Disraeli’s handwritten letters to Queen Victoria, recounting to her exactly what had happened in Cabinet and how he felt about it. She wanted to make the point to me that she still got—in those days, before it was all digitised—number one copy of the Cabinet minutes. She wanted to make the point that the purpose of Cabinet minutes was primarily to convey to the monarch what the Cabinet was up to, since the Prime Minister was probably too busy to write. I certainly did not promise that Mr Blair would do so.

    My second anecdote is a small thing—my impression of her was about dogs and horses. On one occasion, I was sat next to her at a lunch. At some point during the meal, a footman opened a door and a tidal wave of corgis came in and settled around my feet while she fed them. I said that they were beautiful dogs; they were beautifully tended. She said, “I had to have one of them put down yesterday.” I said, “I am so sorry: that must have been very sad.” She said, “Well, he was a lovely dog, but he was getting aggressive. In fact, he bit me.”

    Then she pulled back the chair and I found myself admiring the royal leg, but she had a horrible wound on it. I said, “Oh dear. I hope you have been to a doctor.” For a moment, I saw the real grief that she felt over the dog. Then she pulled herself together and said, “Of course I have been. Now, have you ever had a dog?” And we got into a different conversation; but I saw for a moment that this is what had been in her mind when she was feeding the dogs and as they moved by.

    On another occasion, I had tea with her—I will not explain why—at Ascot. I was sitting on her left and the three other people at the table were all racehorse owners. I can tell you only that the conversation was hugely technical and she was absolutely up with the others, putting them on the spot and cross-examining them about their horses. My goodness me, she knew her stuff.

    Beyond these trivial things, she was such a tower of strength. She led in a way that made it look effortless but, my goodness, we were lucky; we have all remarked on that. We should express deep gratitude that we had her for 70 years of peace and prosperity and wish the new King well; he is well up to the job and has himself the seeds of greatness. We should echo what the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, quoted: she was Elizabeth the Great. God save the Queen, and God save the King.