It is a privilege to pay tribute to our late Queen on behalf not just of myself, but of my constituents in South West Devon. I want to focus on her excellent Christmas broadcasts every year, which have been mentioned by some colleagues. Her ability to connect with the whole nation was never better expressed than through her Christmas day broadcasts. In our household, as in many others, they were unmissable events, and in recent years the whole day was shaped around them. Each year, as we know, she spoke with great warmth and insight about the events of the year, with ever more personal reflections. She never shirked touching on painful events—not just the positives—knowing that all of our lives are made up of ups and downs.
In particular, the Queen used those opportunities to remind the nation of the true meaning of Christmas, namely the birth of her saviour—our saviour—Jesus Christ. On 3 August this very year, she said:
“Throughout my life, the message and teachings of Christ have been my guide and in them I find hope.”
It was a simple but clear explanation of the influences that had shaped her life. In our celebration of her greatness as a monarch, she would want us to recognise the significance of the gospel message that produced such fruit in her. If she was the rock on which modern Britain was built, it was because she stood on the true rock—the rock of ages. In our pluralistic society, containing citizens of all faiths and none, her declaration of Christian faith never jarred, grated or alienated, as we heard from the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood (Shabana Mahmood), because it was authentic, and this was demonstrated through her magnificent Christmas broadcasts.
My final point is that I believe it is also possible to discern in the Queen’s broadcasts another deep quality that she possessed. Even in her 80s and 90s, she did not stand still or remain static; she was moving forward—learning and developing year on year. She became more intimate with her subjects during those broadcasts, more personal and ever more bold. She had an appetite for progress and advancement to the very end. It was an authentic life shaped by her sincere faith, which produced in all the vicissitudes of life a remarkable woman and a great monarch. On behalf of the people of South West Devon, thank you, Your Majesty, for your life of service on our behalf. May you rest in peace and rise in glory.
5.3 pm