I wish to place on record my tribute alongside so many who have spoken today already and offer my personal condolences to His Majesty King Charles III on behalf of all of our communities in Ilford South.
Like many parliamentarians across the House, I have always had a profound respect for the Queen and for the role that she has performed within our nation. I have admired the sage advice and wise counsel that she gave to so many leaders over the course of the past seven decades.
As the son of an Anglican rector and canon of Chelmsford cathedral, someone who has grown up in the Church and someone who has grown up in the churches of Ilford, I have understood so much, as part of my life, the role that the Queen has performed as Head of the Church of England. In a constituency such as Ilford, where people really do do God alongside their politics, with so many people of so many faiths attending religious institutions on a daily basis, she has been held fondly in the hearts of so many—for her religious beliefs and her faith, and also, of course, for her public service.
The Queen’s longevity is perhaps encapsulated best in the fact that the first Prime Minister she swore in, Winston Churchill, was born in 1874, while the current incumbent of No.10, whom she greeted just days ago, was born in 1975, a span of more than 100 years—an entire century—which is truly astounding. She was also an inspiration to our nation; a steadying influence for millions to look up to amid the turbulence and flux so often in British politics. She was the anchor that so many needed during times of crisis. I remember very clearly witnessing the strength that she had in the wake of the 7/7 bombings that hit London, on the streets of our capital. She was able to show her tenderness in meeting the victims of the terrorist atrocities, while, at the same time, stating defiantly that
“those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life.”
And they did not.
The Queen was also an inspiration for our war generation—my great-grandparents and grandparents who served fighting the Nazis—shining a light on the role that women performed tirelessly in those war years. I remember reading one story about how, aged just 18 in 1944, she begged her father, King George, to let her join the war effort. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the King resolutely refused to let her do so. However, undeterred, she continued to plead with her father until he finally relented and let her join the Auxiliary Territorial Service. She was soon donning a pair of coveralls, driving a
military truck, and working as a mechanic. In doing so, Queen Elizabeth became the first woman in the royal family to join the armed forces, and the first serving monarch to do so in more than 1,000 years.
In the immediate aftermath of the second world war—in fact the day after VE Day on 9 May 1945—Elizabeth took part in a tour of some of the bombed areas of Ilford, in recognition of the terrible conditions that east London and that part of Essex had endured under the relentless bombing raids of the Luftwaffe. On her walkabout, on which she was joined by King George, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, she was shown Ley Street in Ilford—it is not far from my constituency office—which was next to the bombed-out local cinema.
Throughout her time as monarch, Elizabeth was supportive of the people of Ilford. I recall one of her last trips to Ilford, on which she visited Valentines mansion in Valentines Park to mark her diamond jubilee in 2012. Crowds thronged to the park, and the love and respect that people across every generation had for the Queen was abundantly clear. As Head of the Commonwealth, the Queen was held in particularly high regard by my constituents, many of whom have origins and heritage in the 54 countries to which our Commonwealth extends.
I will quickly relay a memory of meeting the Queen when I was a young scout in the 2nd Seven Kings troop in Ilford, and seeing at first hand the work that Elizabeth did as patron of the scout movement. I recall fondly climbing to the top of a tree in Gilwell Park to see her walk past. My scout master asked me to come down, and to speak to her directly. Even at such a young age, the work that the Queen did as patron of the scout movement was an inspiration.
In closing, I send my heartfelt condolences. The Queen’s death casts a long shadow over our nation and everyone in the Commonwealth, but the lessons that she taught us will live on for many years to come. God rest the Queen, God bless all who mourn her, and long live the King.
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