October 2022
It was with great sadness that I paid tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on behalf Watford during a special Saturday sitting of the House of Commons.
During the period of national mourning, I was fortunate to attend numerous services in honour of Her Majesty’s long-life and historic reign. So many people commented that they were surprised at how emotional they felt at the news of her passing, yet most of us have not known a world without her. She has been a constant in all of our lives, and her passing bought back memories of our own loved ones that we have lost.
As mentioned during my speech in the Commons, in 1977 Queen Elizabeth II visited the Rolls-Royce factory in Leavesden, where my parents’ in-law first met. I can still recall their excitement when they received a card from The Queen marking their diamond wedding anniversary. We have heard so many stories and anecdotes about The Queen since her passing, it is hard to think of somebody who has touched more lives than our longest reigning Monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II was loved not just because of what she was, but because of who she was—our nation’s great-grandmother. She was loved by people from across the UK, the Commonwealth, and the world. Billions of people watched her funeral service and hundreds of thousands queued overnight to file past her coffin, sad at our loss but comforted that she was to be reunited with her beloved husband.
I was honoured to be asked to serve in the government of her son and heir, King Charles III, having been appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. God save the King.
