These are indeed the saddest of times for us to gather here today to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen. I suspect that we will all remember where we were yesterday when the news came that doctors were gravely concerned about Her Majesty’s health. Our world was suddenly put on hold, and then came the announcement that we had dreaded hearing. Our rock, our stability, the one person who came to symbolise the very best of Britain, was no longer with us.
Her Majesty’s sense of duty to serve was especially appreciated by our armed forces. That phrase “for Queen and country” is not just a catchphrase; it is the allegiance that you pledge when you join Her Majesty’s armed forces. The Queen was our commander-in-chief, and, having served herself, she was only too aware of the sacrifices that personnel were willing to make, all done in her name.
This emptiness that we now feel is a testament to the admiration, the respect and the affection that we all had for her. Indeed, we have not known a Britain without her. Perhaps we can consider ourselves fortunate that the nation was able to come together this year to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, and celebrate with her a most incredible life of service, from the street parties that took place across the country—including those in my constituency—to that wonderful celebration outside Buckingham Palace, when the Queen and Paddington Bear stole the show.
On only one occasion did I have cause to write formally to Her Majesty, and that was to ask her if she would agree to Parliament’s Clock Tower being renamed the Elizabeth Tower, to mark her diamond jubilee 10 years ago. I was truly honoured when she accepted. The name was formally changed, and we now have a constant parliamentary landmark honouring Her Majesty.
As we now mourn the person we knew, we should reflect on the fact that the constant is also the monarchy itself: the British monarchy that has matured over centuries and allowed our great country to advance, to mature, to thrive as a democracy. Her loss does of course leave a mark—it marks the end of an era—but in our new King, who is well prepared to serve, the monarchy will continue to play its role in how our state functions. So yes, we do mourn the loss of our Queen, but we also transfer our faith and allegiance to our new King, His Majesty Charles III. Long live the King.
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