Tributes: Her Majesty the Queen

Baroness Smith of Basildon Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

My Lords, it is a great privilege to follow the noble Baroness the Leader of the House in paying tribute to Her Majesty the Queen on becoming our longest reigning monarch. On behalf of these Benches, I convey our warmest congratulations to Her Majesty on this historic day. Sixty-three years—or 63 years, seven months and two days to be precise—would be an extraordinary length of time to hold any position. As Head of State, it is a truly remarkable record of public service.

In February 1952, when the Queen ascended to the Throne, Winston Churchill was still Prime Minister and Harry Truman was in the White House. The death of the King was traumatic and unexpected. His service to the country during the war, and that of his family, endeared them to the nation and he was held in great affection. His unexpected death at just 56 was a terrible shock and brought great sadness to the nation, as well as to his eldest daughter, the new Queen. It was only seven years since the end of the war. Many people had suffered great losses and this was the end of an era. But alongside that sadness, there was hope. This was a nation emerging from a war and it had an exciting, positive and optimistic vision for the future. It welcomed the new, young Queen as part of that vision.

During her time on the Throne, we have all seen such huge social, cultural and technological change. With Winston Churchill as Prime Minister and Clement Attlee as leader of the Opposition the country finally abandoned the identity cards used during the war, but it would be another two years before food rationing ended—although, being very British, they were able to end tea rationing. Our greatest fear was the Cold War and the Iron Curtain. London saw the end of trams and the first performance of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”. The health service was in its infancy. Only 150,000 homes had a TV, with just one channel—so no “Coronation Street”. No one had a computer or a laptop at home. The internet had not even been imagined. The first ever pop singles chart was published, with Al Martino at number one with “Here in My Heart”. The nation’s most popular food was a tin of Spam and what was to become the European Union was still called the European Coal and Steel Community. Throughout that time, through good changes and bad, Her Majesty has been a constant—a bridge from one era to another, linking our past to our present and towards our future.

Society has changed enormously in that time. The role of women has been transformed. Indeed, it would be another six years—not until 1958—before we as women were able to sit in your Lordships’ House.

People from across the globe have made Britain their home and, as a result, our culture has been enlivened and enriched. Medical science has greatly lengthened life expectancy, something for which many of us are grateful.

As the country has changed, so has Her Majesty moved with the times but there is also something permanent about her that reassures us all in what seems like an ever changing world. Perhaps this goes a long way to explain her huge and enduring popularity, not just with British people and the Commonwealth but across the world. All of us here will have seen Her Majesty at State Opening, and many of us on other occasions as well. I have always been struck by her interest in those she meets.

There is a story, possibly apocryphal but utterly believable, of the VIP about to meet the Queen at an event who was in line to greet her on her arrival. A very modern man, he made it clear to everyone who would listen, including the press, that he was not going to bow. It was outdated in this day and age: he would stand up straight and shake hands. The great day arrived. He stood in place, ramrod straight. As the Queen progressed down the line, shaking hands and having a few words with each guest, he stood there waiting for his moment. She arrived. They shook hands and she said something, but so softly that he could not hear, so he leant forward as all the camera bulbs flashed, taking the photo of him bowing to the Queen. Some time later, he was retelling the story to a colleague, which is how I heard about it, who said, “Oh dear, she got you on that one too, did she?”. I hope that it is true because it shows such dignity and a sense of fun.

I concur with the noble Baroness that it is also fitting that we reflect on the role of His Royal Highness Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, who has been at Her Majesty’s side throughout her reign and has been such a support to her in undertaking her responsibilities. We are also grateful to him.

Her Majesty’s service to the country and the Commonwealth is rewarded by huge public affection and levels of popularity that any politician would give their right arm for. If any word could sum up her 63 years on the Throne, it would be this: duty. I believe that those of us who serve in Parliament understand this concept too, but for most of us, even those who reach the highest ministerial level, this duty is, by contrast to Her Majesty’s, very short-lived.

As we heard from the noble Baroness, it is relatively straightforward to work out that the Queen has been served by 12 Prime Ministers during her reign, not to mention some 26 Leaders of your Lordships’ House, or that she has seen 16 general elections come and go during those years. Much harder to calculate—the noble Baroness gave some excellent examples—is the number of red boxes she has worked her way through, the Cabinet minutes she will have read, the number of receptions and garden parties she has hosted and public engagements she has undertaken. We have heard some of those statistics, and those figures are to hand, but no one can count the number of people she has met and those whose lives she has touched. That is incalculable and invaluable.

Her Majesty did not choose to be Queen; it was thrust upon her at an unexpectedly early age. Her strong sense of duty that has been evident throughout her reign shows great respect to her country and the Commonwealth. We repay that respect today. So we congratulate Her Majesty, and thank her, and look forward to another such occasion next year as we celebrate her 90th birthday in a similar fashion.