Ruth Jones – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II
The tribute made by Ruth Jones, the Labour MP for Newport West, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.
I am grateful for the opportunity to say a few words today. It is a genuine honour for me to speak in this important debate on behalf of the people of Newport West to pay tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. I want to echo the sentiments expressed by Members on both sides of the House; I was inspired by—and enjoyed listening to—their elegant, witty words and the stories about the Queen that they have shared with us, and I am very grateful to them.
By any measure, Her late Majesty was one of a kind. She led, she served, she cared, she inspired, she comforted, and she challenged. Queen Elizabeth will be irreplaceable, and we were lucky to have her. Hers was a life well lived. From travelling to all parts of our world to serving as our most long-standing Head of State, she made history, and she was our present for so long. It does not matter whether you are a royalist or a republican, Madam Deputy Speaker: we can all recognise the Queen’s dedication, integrity, compassion and sense of humour, and acknowledge her lifetime of extraordinary service to our country, of commitment to the people of Wales, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, and her calm, strong and stable leadership.
I have heard many stories about the visits that the Queen paid to our area in south Wales and to my Newport West constituency, such as her visit to St Woolos’ Cathedral in Stow Hill. At the official openings of the Assembly of Wales, now the Senedd, the former Assembly Member for Newport West and Presiding Officer, Dame Rosemary Butler, welcomed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to Cardiff Bay, the home of the Welsh national Parliament.
Today I want to give voice to the many people who live, learn and work in Newport West, who mourn Her late Majesty’s passing and who, through me as their Member of Parliament, extend their condolences to the King and the royal family. In particular, I want to mention a message that I received from Mubarak Ali on behalf of the Islamic Society for Wales:
“At this sad time we all share our grief and tears with members of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth will be greatly missed. Rest in peace in heaven, your majesty. Thank you for your love and dedication for our country and the world.”
In 1944, the then Princess Elizabeth made her first visit to Newport. My 87-year-old mum and others of her age remember that visit and the boost that it provided during the difficult war years. In 2002, to celebrate the Queen’s golden jubilee, Newport was granted city status. It was a moment of immense pride for our city. Again, Her late Majesty was there to celebrate with us, and I must admit that I was very proud that my four-year-old daughter Elinor was one of the first to give Her late Majesty a posy of flowers as she arrived in the city centre—#proudmum.
We politicians come and go, but Her late Majesty endured and was a constant for all of us. As we move into a new world, with a new monarch and a gaping hole in our national life, we give thanks for the life of Queen Elizabeth II, mourn her loss and send our prayers, condolences and love to the royal family, the country, the Commonwealth and the world that she has left behind. May she rest in peace.
