Craig Tracey – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II
The tribute made by Craig Tracey, the Conservative MP for North Warwickshire, in the House of Commons on 10 September 2022.
It is with great sadness and some pride that I rise today to pay tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on behalf of my family and my constituents across North Warwickshire and Bedworth, and to send our condolences to the royal family.
Thursday was the day we always knew, at the back of our mind, was inevitable. Most wished it would never arrive, but I think that few of us considered the impact its coming would have on us all. I am sure I was not alone in waking on Friday morning with the most profound sense of grief that I really could not rationalise. Like many people, I had not met the late Queen, but I still felt I knew her. She had been part of our daily life forever, not just here in Parliament. Her image was seen nearly everywhere. She was in our wallets, on our letters, in our shops and on our walls. We shared our troubled times with her and we shared our successes; we even shared our Christmas day together. She loved our country and it loved her. That was never more evident than during the recent jubilee celebrations across our constituencies.
Although the late Queen Elizabeth II was of royal blood, she had an amazing ability to connect with people, and we felt that she was “one of us”. But I think what is most incredible is that, unlike us here in this place, she did not ask for her role—to be our Head of State. Rather, it was imposed on her, which makes it even more incredible that she kept the promise that she made as a 21-year-old princess right up until the very end of her days: that she would devote her life to service. For that, we should be eternally grateful.
No other person has had such a profound impact on so many lives over such a long period of time. The word “icon” is often bandied around to describe various people, but never has it been more appropriate than for our Queen Elizabeth. She defined our nation and represented it unfailingly for 70 years. It now seems very strange to be contemplating a future without Her late Majesty in it. In an uncertain and dynamic world, she was a reassuring constant, and her death is not just a tragedy for the royal family, but a dreadful loss for us all. However, we should remember that it was a life lived with true purpose, and on behalf of my constituents and myself, I would like to say, “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your dedication and service to our country. May you now rest in peace, and God save the King.”
