THE glowing parliamentary tributes to Britain’s longest-serving monarch began with David Cameron describing the Queen as a “rock of stability” in an era of change and that her near 64 yearlong reign had been a “golden thread” running through three post-war generations.
The Prime Minister told a special session of the House of Commons that the Queen had inspired everyone with her incredible service, her dignified leadership and the extraordinary grace with which she carried out her duties.
He recalled when the new monarch, then aged just 21, vowed to dedicate her life to serving Britain and the Commonwealth, telling MPs: "It's one thing for a 21-year-old to utter those inspiring words; it's another to live by them for more than 60 years."
Mr Cameron explained that in her reign of 63 years and 216 days, surpassing Queen Victoria’s, Her Majesty had worked with 12 Prime Ministers, six Archbishops of Canterbury and nine Cabinet Secretaries. She had answered 3.5 million pieces of correspondence, sent more than 100,000 telegrams to centenarians across the Commonwealth and met more people than any other monarch in history.
“And yet whether it is something we suspect that she enjoys such as the Highland Games or something we suspect that she might be less keen on - such as spending New Year’s Eve in the millennium dome - she never, ever falters.
“Her selfless sense of service and duty have earned her unparalleled respect and admiration not only in Britain but around the world.”
He added: “The Queen is our Queen and we could not be more proud of her. She has served this country with an unerring grace, dignity and decency and long may she continue to do so."
Harriet Harman, the acting Labour leader in her penultimate appearance at the dispatch box, told MPs that the Queen’s life had been a “great sweep of British history”, taking in the Second World War, the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
There was also a deal of good humour in the tributes. Ms Harman joked: "She is now on her 12th Prime Minister. We on these benches had hoped she would now be on her 13th.”
The London MP added: "She reigns over 140 million people - that is a huge number, nearly as many as the number of Labour Party's registered supporters - and it's entirely characteristic of her that she has let it be known that she doesn't want there to be a fuss about today but we are making a fuss and deservedly so."
Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster, spoke of the Queen's particular affinity with Scotland, in particular her delight at staying in Balmoral.
He told MPs he could personally attest to her personal interest, attention, kindness and amazing ability to put people at their ease.
Noting how Her Majesty was working as usual, attending the opening of the Scottish borders railway, he said this was “much appreciated and totally in keeping with her remarkable record of public service”.
The Moray MP added: “Next year Her Majesty will celebrate her 90th birthday and, come 6 February 2022, she will become the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee. We look forward to that, wish her and her husband well for the future and share the appreciation for their public service over 63 years.”
Several other MPs praised the Queen’s service, dedication and duty over six decades. The last was Tory backbencher Sir Peter Bottomley, who spoke just as the half-hour session was closing.
In the briefest of contributions, he said: “May I add the thanks of everybody involved in all the voluntary organisations and charities to which the Queen has given leadership and inspiration over the years?”
The Speaker replied as the hour struck midday: “A great speech; possibly the honourable gentleman’s greatest ever.”
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