John Howell – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

The tribute made by John Howell, the Conservative MP for Henley, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.

I recall my first encounter with the Queen on a visit to a foreign country: her 1994 visit to Russia. She went to Moscow and St Petersburg at the request of Boris Yeltsin, and I had been invited along to conduct economic negotiations with Russia. It was based in St Petersburg on board Britannia, a ship that thoroughly impressed all the Russian visitors. The press made much of the trip’s difficulties for the Queen. They were obsessed with the details of which jewels she had brought, and whether any of them had once belonged to Russian duchesses. She was not interested in the slightest in that, and she took Boris Yeltsin fully in her stride—quite remarkable, when we remember what he was like. The trip was a great success for UK plc, and the Queen took a great interest in what we were doing and the results of the visit.

As His Majesty said earlier, we remember a life well lived. We celebrate that life for all the human qualities, as well as the duty and service that so many Members have spoken about. God save the King.