MPs pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
9 September 2022
The House of Commons paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 9 September. A minute's silence was observed in both Chambers after Prayers.
On Saturday 10 September tributes in the House of Commons continued. At the end of Saturday’s sitting, Members agreed an Humble Address of condolence to His Majesty the King, which will be presented on Monday in Westminster Hall.
Read the Speaker's statement
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Linsday Hoyle MP, opened the session with a statement:
"Almost all of us in the House have experienced no monarch upon this country’s throne but Her late Majesty. There are indeed only a score-or-so of Members in this House who were already born, let alone who can recall a time, when she wasn’t Queen. She is wedded in our minds with the Crown and all that it stands for. After her accession in February 1952, she first came to the Palace of Westminster to open a Session of Parliament in November 1952 - when Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and Speaker William Morrison was in this Chair – almost seventy years ago.
"57 complete Sessions of Parliament have passed since then, and she was here to open all but three of them. As Parliamentarians we have celebrated with her for her Silver, Golden and Diamond jubilees and of course marked her Platinum Jubilee this year in which the lamp standards have been unveiled in New Palace Yard. In this place her reign saw ten different Speakers occupy this Chair; during her reign there were 18 General Elections – and I am sure the Prime Minister will remind us of how many of her predecessors she welcomed and spoke to, always I am sure with quiet wisdom.
"As the longest-serving monarch this country has known, she would have been assured of a notable entry in our history books even were it not for the magnificence with which she undertook her role as Queen – but for a magnificence of service. And what service that entailed: she was not just head of the nation, but head of the Commonwealth, head of the armed forces and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
"Over her reign she saw unprecedented social, cultural and technological change. Through it all, she was the most conscientious, the most dutiful of monarchs. But while she understood the inescapable nature of that duty which sometimes must have weighed upon her heavily, she also delighted in carrying it out: for she was a most devoted monarch.
"As well as a Queen she was a mother, a wife, a grandmother and great-grandmother - roles she carried out with the same sense of vocation, as well as human kindness, as the role of Queen. Her life was not without unhappiness and troubles, but our memories of her will be filled with that image of gently smiling dedication that she showed throughout her life.
"Indeed, while this is a time of very considerable sadness, those memories of a noble and gracious lady, who devoted her life to her family, the United Kingdom and those nations around the world whom she also served as Queen, will bring us some consolation and joy. My deepest sympathies are with His Majesty The King and other members of the Royal Family to whom I commend all our sincere condolences and support at this sad time."
The Prime Minister, Elizabeth Truss (Conservative), led the tributes. The leaders of the other parties followed: Keir Starmer (Labour) and Ian Blackford (SNP), as well as Father of the House, Peter Bottomley (Conservative) and Mother of the House, Harriet Harman (Labour).
Watch and read tributes
- Watch the tributes on Parliament TV
- Read the Hansard transcript of tributes from three hours afterwards