Chris Law – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II
The tribute made by Chris Law, the SNP MP for Dundee West, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.
It is a pleasure to follow the delightful tribute to the Queen by the hon. Member for Meriden (Saqib Bhatti). On behalf of myself, my constituents in Dundee West and all peoples of the ancient royal burgh of Dundee, I would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty the Queen and send my deepest condolences to the royal family at this difficult time.
Her Majesty dedicated her life to public service and, having acceded to the throne at an unexpectedly young age, she reshaped the monarchy in the changing generations she has reigned. She will be remembered in history as Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Throughout her reign she served with dignity and compassion. Everyone I know personally who met her has spoken of her real and genuine warmth.
The Queen, of course, had a strong Scottish heritage. The Queen Mother’s home was Glamis Castle in Angus, not far from my city of Dundee. As a result, Her Majesty frequently visited her maternal grandparents there as a child. Indeed, one of the earliest photographs of the Queen visiting Dundee is as a child shopping in Webster’s Toy Shop in Whitehall Crescent with her grandmother, the Countess of Strathmore. Throughout her lifetime she continued to visit my city, and many of Dundee’s parks and public spaces were officially opened by Her Majesty. As then-Princess, she officially opened Camperdown Park in 1946. Seven decades later—70 years later—she unveiled a plaque to officially open Slessor Gardens at our city’s redeveloped waterfront in 2016.
Buckingham Palace was, of course, not the only balcony that the Queen waved from. In 1969, she arrived by train into Dundee and visited Dudhope Court, one of the city’s 44 multistorey blocks. While there, she was welcomed by a local Dundee family and waved from their balcony to the crowds gathered below. I am also told that she stayed back for a cup of tea. Thousands of people gathered to watch the royal yacht Britannia berth in the city when she made her first royal visit to Dundee as Queen in 1955, with the Duke of Edinburgh.
I know that thousands will now wish to sign the book of condolence that has been opened at Dundee city chambers to allow members of the public the chance to express their feelings at the death of Her Majesty. She will always be remembered in Dundee, Scotland, the Commonwealth and the world for her unwavering service that never ceased until the end. Thank you, Ma’am, and may you rest in peace.
