I am far from being an ardent royalist. The idea that someone should just inherit the position of head of state is very strange to me. However, that doesn’t stop me acknowledging that the current incumbent has been doing a fantastic job since way before I was born. I’ve always admired her dignity, dedication and the experience that comes from dealing with Prime Ministers as diverse as Alec Douglas-Home, Tony Blair and Winston Churchill and having an unrivalled perspective of almost six and a half decades of world events.
Today, MPs paid tribute to her service as they wished her a happy birthday. Here is Tim Farron’s contribution in which he tells us how she gave him a good tip to deal with a common problem:
I thank you, Mr Speaker, for calling me to speak, especially as I managed to make it into the Chamber only when the Prime Minister was concluding his remarks—my apologies to him. On this occasion I am convinced that, not having heard one of his remarks, I would have agreed with them all.
It is a massive honour to give praise and to acknowledge the service of Her Majesty on her 90th birthday. Unlike many people in this place, I have spoken to Her Majesty on only a limited number of occasions. It was on one occasion really, as a very new Member of Parliament. She was asking me how I was getting on as a new MP and how I was coping with the correspondence. I did confide that, on occasions, people would come up to me in the street and say thank you, or acknowledge a letter that I had written to them, and I would sometimes just go blank. I am sure that colleagues share that sensation and think, “Right, what are they talking about? I can’t quite remember the detail.” Her Majesty said, “Yes, that happens to me all the time. I always say that it is the least I could do”. Perhaps we should all cling on to that as a good get-out-of-jail card.
Her Majesty has had occasion to visit formally my part of the world—Westmorland—on two occasions in her reign. The first was in 1956, which was 14 years before I was born. It was the year of the Suez crisis; the year of the Clean Air Act; and the year that the United Kingdom turned on its first nuclear power station. The second occasion was three years ago, when I was privileged to meet her in Kendal as the Member of Parliament for Westmorland and Lonsdale. In the 57 years between those two visits, and indeed since she assumed the throne, so much has changed for all of us. Much, much more has changed for Britain and the world in which we live. The Elizabethan age will be reviewed by history as a vast, transformational and tumultuous era, during which our Queen has provided immeasurable constancy, which will be looked back on as the thread that runs through all of it, and that has made change possible without the uncertainty and instability that could have come about otherwise.
In Her Majesty’s time, Governments have indeed come and gone. She has seen them lead Britain into the European Common Market, and then seen her people vote to remain—that was when I was five years of age. She has seen Britain lead the world by becoming the first G7 country to commit 0.7% of GDP to international development aid. She has seen Britain become a world leader in renewable energy and make great strides in tackling climate change. She has seen technological advances race ahead from when a telegram or a radio programme was a thing of great excitement to the prevalence of satellite television, the iPhone, letters being supplanted by email and playground conversations by tweets and Facebook status updates.
Through all those years of change and upheaval, Her Majesty’s selfless service to Britain has remained a constant. She is admired at home and around the world for her constant and consistent advocacy of Britain at its best. I am bound to say—others have reflected on this—that she embodies the value of a constitutional monarchy. She is a neutral person who is above politics and who is the foundation of our constitution. She is someone to whom all of us, whatever our political views, can look, and with whom we can share an allegiance. That is an immeasurably valuable thing.
Even as we contemplate the monumental things that have occurred during Her Majesty’s reign, it is worth remembering that birthdays are very personal occasions. They are opportunities to celebrate the lives we lead and give thanks with friends and families. Hers has been an extraordinary life and she is an extraordinary example to all of us in public life of the meaning of public service. As we and others pay tribute to her example, I hope that she, who has so many friends, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and a loving husband, experiences the same joy and pleasure that we all do when we get together to celebrate with those whom we love. On this wonderful and historic day, on behalf of my party and my constituents in Westmorland and Lonsdale, I pay tribute to Her Majesty, to her dedication, to a lifetime of public service and to her faith, and wish her a very happy birthday and many more to come. I thank God for her service. Long live the Queen.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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15 Comments
Excellent remarks Tim.
Nice comments about a very special lady.
And for the rest of our song
For us to rest would be wrong
As in a great monarchs reign
We look to the remainder…
Inspired by the 90th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen , and her becoming the longest reigning British monarch, I have dedicated a song to her, that I have written ,and shall be recording with others shortly, with a hope of it raising money for charity .Any particular selection of verses from a song , like a song itself , reveals something of its author or subject.As with the reason for writing it.Mine shows why it is probably because of , not despite my being a Liberal Democrat , that I have , over the years come to be a Constitutional Monarchist.
Maybe it is because my father grew up in Italy , forced into the Mussolini Youth,but took the Partisans food secretly , and later joined the British Military Police when they were stationed ,in his city of Trieste ,after it was liberated.Before he settled in Britain.
Maybe it is because my mother , who he met and married in London, is of part Irish origin, and I was born in and grew up in England when we felt the troubles of Ireland, spill over onto this soil, but have since had the Good Friday Agreement, and seen the Queen visit the Irish Republic.
Maybe it is because I am a Londoner , as another song says , but have also lived in Nottingham for many years and saw the excitement in the Market Square where we stood to greet the Queen on her visit for her Diamond Jubilee, and see the unity she promotes and that helps to keep this country , these countries , our United Kingdom , together.
Yes, it is because I believe in Liberal Democracy, not despite it , that I believe in this Constitutional Monarchy.
Free people and nation
Mall enthralled,let spirits soar
Birth or coronation
Hope enthroned,all call for more !
“that it is the least I could do” was also what Clement Freud MP said.
It’s definitely pinched from Clement Freud, but the Queen goes up rather than down in my estimation for recycling it.
Lorenzo:
Understand your view, but …
“all call for more”
Not in my name. 🙂
We can all agree that it is a good thing, and possibly why the monarchy is still relatively popular that the current monarch has largely restrained from political activity, unlike many of her predecessors. However, the monarchy still represents the class system and privelige that Liberals should always fight against. When no child can aspire to be their country’s head of state, it clearly is not “opportunity for everyone”.
Yeah Yeah George, no doubt you will have plenty of opportunity from time to time to put the arguments against the system of constitutional monarchy but hey why not give it a rest just for a couple of days and wish the lady a happy 90th birthday? As I do.
George, the reason why the monarchy is so popular and the reason why Elizabeth will be a very hard act to follow, is because of the self-initiated reinvention that happened in the early 1900’s to make the monarchy more relevant to the general public. Elizabeth has used this platform most effectively in performing her role and discharging her duties to the nation and in so doing has provided us with an exemplary face for the nation and role model for the wealthy. Yes she and her family might be privileged, but you cannot deny that she has and continues to serve/work for the nation.
Unfortunately, because she has largely defined what the role is for a modern monarch and done it so well, Elizabeth will be a very hard act to follow…
My understanding is Tim Farron is a republican. Saying so (politely) would have been infinitely more useful and brave.
William Summers: What evidence do you have that Tim Farron is a republican ? If he is that no doubt partly explains why he has been such a disappointment as it shows he is out of touch with the general public which is largely unconcerned with constitutional innovations, as well as with many of his other obsessions. He must learn to focus on what is relevant to the ordinary voters throughout Britain, not just Westmorland and Lonsdale.
George: How many young people aspire to be their country’s Head of State and why would they want to do so ?
Eternal Monarch, King most high,
whose blood hath brought redemption nigh,
by whom the death of Death was wrought,
and conquering Grace’s battle fought.
Ascending to the throne of might,
and seated at the Father’s right,
all power in heaven is Jesus’ own,
that here his manhood had not known.
That so, in nature’s triple frame,
each heavenly and each earthly name,
and things in hell’s abyss abhorred,
may bend the knee and own him Lord.
Yea, angels tremble when they see
how changed is our humanity;
that flesh hath purged what flesh had stained,
and God, the flesh of God, hath reigned.
Be thou our joy and strong defense,
who art our future recompense:
so shall the light that springs from thee
be ours through all eternity.
O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
all praise to thee let earth accord,
who art, while endless ages run,
with Father and with Spirit one.
crewegwyn
Fair enough , but the word “all”, in the verse from my song verse extract , was meant to mean we all call for the queen and us all to celebrate our nation , as much as , rightly, celebrate Her Majesty !I understand your feeling , but as Liberals and Democrats , we often look at the evidence for policy , and see things as case by case , and people as individuals .This all leads me to see the tremendous evidence that , whereas we would not want power inherited , not as a rule , The Queen has no real power , but has a valuable role ,and does not rule , but reign .And as we see individuals , I see one whose rare and individual exception to a rule , is justified . Call it “exceptionalism !”I also , as a staunch Democrat , take in to consideration when viewing matters not really making a massive difference to the struggles of people ,the views of people in general , where possible , and ge t a feel of how they feel . There is a massive feeling of support for the House of Windsor to continue , as the , almost “family firm “, contracted to provide a terrific social service , being Head of State !
William Summers
As Caron says of herself , above in her respectful and appropriate way , one does not have to be a Royalist , but nor does that mean one is a Republican . I myself , as mentioned , am a staunch Constitutional Monarchist , in this era , with this Monarchy .I am not keen on the Royalist word , it smacks of fandom, regardless , rather than my preferred expression which is a tribute to the incumbants , and their fitting in to a system that works for us .They have shown themselves deserving of support and “if it aint broke , dont fix it !”I allude to my background , as being important in my journey to this strongly held view.We all have our reasons .I would be surprised if Tim is at heart a Republican , now in our era.His excellent speech in the Commons in tribute , reveals subtle and gentle affection for the Queen.It is not easy to feel that and think we should chuck her and her trained successors out of their role !
Manfarang
Great stuff , but I thought we were only praising mere mortals even in my exalted tone !
A concluding thought for Liberals , Democrats , social liberals or social democrats .To us, we are strong internationalists ,as well as, patriots , when feeling love for our country , rather than nationalists , which can imply elevation of it above all others or dislike of our neighbours .I see our monarch as British Ambassador to the World , and Our Diplomat in Chief! We do not elect ambassadors or diplomats , and lots of people follow their parents into professions !