Rehman Chishti – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II
The tribute made by Rehman Chishti, the Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, in the House of Commons on 9 September 2022.
My thoughts, and those of Gillingham and Rainham, are with His Majesty King Charles III and the rest of the royal family.
I will refer to a prayer from St John Henry Newman, a great British saint with a global impact. It was a privilege and honour for me, as the then Prime Minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion and belief, to be part of the 2019 delegation led by His Majesty the King for the canonisation of John Henry Newman.
The prayer I wish to share, “The mission of my life”, begins:
“God has created me to do Him some definite service.”
Her late Majesty’s selfless commitment to public service is an example to us all of definite service. The prayer continues:
“He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another.”
God gave Her Majesty all our work, and she did it with complete distinction, commitment and grace, always giving without expectation of any return. John Henry Newman continues:
“I have my mission—I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next…I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.”
Her Majesty was most certainly an amazing link that brought us all together from all parts of the United Kingdom, from all parts of the Commonwealth, from all parts of the world, and from all faiths and none, based on her values of kindness, compassion, respect and acceptance of others.
John Henry Newman goes on to say:
“He has created me for naught. I shall do good.”
Her Majesty certainly did that. Finally, he says:
“I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments”.
Her Majesty was most certainly an angel of peace and a preacher of truth. Your Majesty, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your values—what you stood for—will forever live on and be an inspiration for us all.
I also say this: there could be no one finer than His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, to take our great country forward, given his values and what he stands for. There is one thing that has not been mentioned so far: for decades, His Majesty King Charles III has been committed to interfaith dialogue. He been committed to bringing together people of all faiths and none. Some 80% of our world has one faith or another. If somebody such as His Majesty King Charles III is committed to bringing people together, and people know his commitment to interfaith, he can bring our world together for the common good. God save the King.
