21/04/2016 House of Commons

who are role models to others with disabilities and to make a real

service to this Government of hope they will continue to do so in the

years ahead. We now come to the motion for an address to Her Majesty

on the occasion of her 90th birthday. To move the motion, I

called the Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, I beg to move the motion on

the order paper that stands in my name and that of the Leader of the

Opposition and the leader of the Scottish National party. Mr Speaker,

today we celebrate the 90th birthday of our country's longest reigning

monarch. Her Majesty The Queen, our Queen, has lived a life of service

that began long before her accession to the throne. In 1940, just 14

years old, the then then Princess Elizabeth made her first BBC radio

broadcasts to bring comfort and hope to children who had been evacuated

from Britain's cities during the war. At 18, she became the first

female member of the Royal family to join the Armed Forces by training as

a driver and mechanic. And at just 21, she means that exquisite and

defining broadcasts from Cape Town in which she uttered those famous

words, saying and I quote, my whole life, whether it be long or short,

shall be devoted to your service. Mr Speaker, never has such an

extraordinary promise been so profoundly for fills. As I said when

we gathered in September to celebrate her length of rain, for

all of us in this chamber who seek to play our part in public service,

it is truly humbling to comprehend the scale of service that Her

Majesty has given to our country over so many years. If you think of

the vital landmark in completing our journey to democracy, when everyone

over 21 was finally given the vote in 1928, it means that Her Majesty

has provided over -- presided over two thirds of our history as a

democracy. She has met a quarter of all the American president since

independence. She has provided counsel to no fewer than 12 prime

ministers and that is just in Britain. She has worked with over

150 prime ministers in other roles so if anyone can come up with a

collective noun for a group of prime ministers, it is probably Her

Majesty and I think I will leave it to her to make some suggestions. I

know that like me, every Prime Minister has found her counsel and

incredibly valuable part of the job. Our prospective and let of

experience is unique and utterly invaluable. Her first Prime Minister

in 1952 was Winston Churchill. Like him and all those who have followed,

I can testify that she is quite simple of the best audiences in the

world will stop there is no one else in public life that any Prime

Minister can be read speak to in total confidence and no other

country has a head of state with such wisdom and such patients. Mr

Speaker, there are some who suspect that at times I may have put her

patients to the test. In the play The Audience the character who

Bursaries me goes on and on about Europe for so long that she falls

asleep but I can guarantee that has never really happens. I may not have

kept my promise not to bang on about Europe in every forum, but this is

the one where I tried the hardest. Of course, as has pointed out, she

is now entering her 10th decade. Her Majesty is starting to take things a

little easier which is why in the last year alone, she has only

undertaken 177 public engagements. In 90 years, Her Majesty has lived

through some extraordinary times in our world. From the Second World War

when her parents were nearly killed as bombs dropped on Buckingham

Palace, to the rations with which she bought the material for her

wedding dress, to presenting the World Cup to England in Wembley in

19 6262 man landed on the Moon three years later. From the end of the

Cold War to peace in Northern Ireland. Throughout it all, as the

sounds of culture shift and the tides of politics at Banff flow, Her

Majesty has been steadfast, a rock of strength for our nation,

Commonwealth and sometimes for the whole world. As her grandson has

said, time and again, quietly and modestly, the Queen has sold us all

that we can confidently embrace the future without compromising the

things that are important. As Her Majesty said in her first televised

Christmas broadcast in 1957, it is necessary to hold fast to

fundamental ideas and principles and this requires a special kind of

courage which makes us stand up for everything we know is right,

everything which is true and honest. In this modern Elizabethan era, Her

Majesty has led a gentle evolution of our more keen. From that first

televised Christmas Day message over three decades before cameras were

allowed into this House, to the opening up of the royal palaces,

invention of the royal walkabout, she has brought the monarchy closer

to the people while also maintaining its dignity. Her role as supreme

Governor of the church of England has also been incredibly important

to her. She has often said that her life is inspired not only by her

love of this great country but also by her faith in God will stop as she

said, I know that the only way to live my life is to do what is right

to take the long view, to give of my best in all the day brings and to

put my trust in God. Added that it up for Christianity, she has been

clear that the Church of England has a duty to protect the free practice

of all faiths in our country. Mr Speaker, Her Majesty always performs

her constitutional treaty as head of state in impeccable but as head of

our nation, she has held in even higher regard for how she represents

the United Kingdom. It has rightly been said by some constitutional

experts that Her Majesty The Queen is the only person born in the

United Kingdom who is neither a English, Scottish, Welsh, or

Northern Irish. She is all and none of these things and can represent

all the nations of the United Kingdom on an equal basis in a way

that no president ever occurred. She is also constantly represented the

nation to its self when abroad. Foreign leaders from President

Truman to nuzzle Mandela and Ronald Reagan have all testified to her

extraordinary ability to represent this country and understand the

world -- Nelson Mandela. On the Hercules take visit to Ireland in

2011, she began her results in Irish and spoke about the history of the

troubled relationship between the UK and Ireland. She did so with a

kindness as well as authority that went far beyond anything that would

be possible for an elected politician. As a diplomat and

ambassador for the United Kingdom, she has represented our country on

266 official visits to 116 different countries. As I saw again at the

Commonwealth heads of Government meeting in Malta last year, she has

made an extraordinary contribution to the future of our Commonwealth,

growing it from eight members in 1952 to 53 today. In doing so, she

has helped to grow a family of nations that spans every continent,

all main religions, a quarter of the members of the United Nations and

nearly one third of the world's population. The reach of Her

Majesty's diplomacy is without parallel, so much so that as a

result of a visit to Balmoral, she can claim to be the only woman ever

to have driven the King of Saudi Arabia around in a car. I have that

story sourced from both of the participant! Through it all, Her

Majesty has carried herself with the most extraordinary grace and

humility. When people meet the Queen, they talk about it for the

rest of their lives. She understands that ensures a genuine interest in

all though she meets. They can see that she cares. As the

constitutional historian Vernon Bogle has said, Her Majesty

understands what might be called the soul of the British people. Mr

Speaker, Her Majesty has done so much throughout her life that when

it comes to her 90th birthday, there cannot be much that is new for her

to try but I'm pleased to hear that she will sample the orange drizzle

cake baked by the winner of the Great British Bake Off winner Nadia

Hussain. She will be joined as ever by her family including her son, the

Prince of Wales and her husband the Prince of Edinburgh who have stood

by her side throughout her reign. They have both served this country

with an unshakeable sense of Judy. The Prince of Edinburgh's award team

has inspired millions of people around the world. As we have seen in

those delightful portraits released this week, family has always been at

the heart of Her Majesty's long life. Mr Speaker, we are uniquely

blessed in our country. Her Majesty's service is extraordinary

and it is a joy for us all to celebrate, to cherish, and to

honour. In June, the whole country will serve in the special milestone

with a service in St Paul's Cathedral and April Street party.

But for today, I know the whole house and the whole country will

want to join me in wishing Her Majesty The Queen health, happiness

and above all a very special 90th birthday. Order, the question is

that our humble address be delivered to Her Majesty. I call the Leader of

the Opposition, Mr Jeremy Corbyn. Thank you. It is a pleasure to

second be humble address. Many people across the country today will

be wishing Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday and these benches send

our warmest greetings to add to that. May I say, as a relatively

young whippersnapper, I am fully in favour of our country having readers

of a fine vintage. -- leaders. Today we are talking about a highly

respected individual who is 90 and whatever differing views people

across this country have about the institution, the vast majority share

an opinion that Her Majesty has served this country and has

overwhelming support with a clear sense of public service and public

duty as the Prime Minister just indicated. She has carried out that

duty with enormous warmth. My dear friend Mildred Gordon, former member

who recently died aged 92 and whose funeral is tomorrow, met the Queen

at the opening of the Docklands light Railway. The Queen asked her

how she was getting on as a newly roulette did MP and Mildred replied

with the devastating honesty she always used that she had very little

power to help her constituents. The Queen to occur on one side and with

her customary wit said, once they find out you're lot can't help them,

they will write to me! Her Majesty was born less than one month before

the general strike. The first otter who would later and unexpectedly

become heir to the throne was born two years as the Prime Minister

pointed out before all women in Britain got the vote. Her childhood

was during the poverty of the 1930s, her two new shears to the brutal

carnage of the Second World War and at awards and, she experienced

first-hand the joy of people as the young people walked through the

streets of London. A very moving oral history that I'm very pleased

was replayed on Radio 4 this morning.

She became Queen at just 25 years old following the death of her

father. She has reigned for nearly 64 years, the longest reigning

monarch in our history. At that time, in our time, the country has

become a better and more civilised place. We have enacted equality

legislation and ended colonialism. We treated the National Health

Service, the wealthy state and the open University. And as head of the

Commonwealth, she has been a defender of this incredible

multicultural, global 's decision, from which we are all very grateful,

the way she stood up for the Commonwealth and visited every

country in the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister was quite right to

draw attention to her historic visit to Ireland in 2011 and the way she

spoke in the Irish language at the reception that was held for hire in

Dublin during that visit. Today, Mr Speaker, I welcome to more than

knowledge -- people from my constituency here. Iris was born in

what is now the Republic of Ireland but was then part of Britain. She

came to London in 1951 before the coronation and was a clown civil

servant in the Inland Revenue. She has helped collect taxes ever since

1951, which has helped to keep us all in a state to which we are

accustomed. George Ford in the Second World War, serving in the 1st

Battalion with the rifle Brigade, and had a daily close affinity with

Her Majesty wrote his working life. -- George fought. Yesterday, I was

present at the graduation of a 91 euros constituent who has just

completed her third-degree, a Masters, no less. It proves you're

never too late to take up a new career and learn something else. It

is the generation, the Queen's generation and my parents'

generation that defeated the horrors of fascism in Europe. He built a

more civilised and equal Britain. We have much to be grateful for to that

generation. On her coronation in 1953, Her Majesty was driven through

a street in my borough. Her crowning achievement in Islington was to come

some years later. You will enjoy this, Mr Speaker. In 2006, she was

due to open the new Emirates Stadium in my constituency but had to pull

out due to an injury. Unfortunately, this is a fate that has collected

far too many of Arsenal's squad in subsequent years. So we must

congratulate her on her prescience. My honourable friend was then the

leader of Islington Council. As the Queen could not attend the opening,

they were invited to Buckingham Palace and she accompanied the whole

squad to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen. We know that the Queen is

absolutely above politics. She might be about football as well but many

locals harbour of this quite secret view that she is actually,

privately, a Gooner. In her reign, she has seen off 12 Prime Ministers.

Whilst recently I attended my first state dinner, she has received over

100 state visits and visited, as Prime Minister well over 100

countries on our behalf. I admire her energy, wish her well in her

continuing and a Standing Committee public life. I can wish her a very

happy 90th birthday. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,

first of all, may I associate myself with the excellent tribute of the

Prime Minister to the Queen. And me I, on behalf of myself and my

constituents, congratulate the Queen on this great milestone in a life of

service and punctilious Judy dedicated entirely to her people in

the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. -- duty. And as they

must for most Ambassador this country has ever had. It has been a

life of devotion and fortitude and good judgment, selfless duty, great

humour and uncomplaining hard work. In all this, she has been supported

by a loving family and blessed with a very happy marriage to her

remarkable consort, who has done so much for her and our country. The

Queen was crowned in the same Abbey Church as was William the Conqueror.

At the age of 26, the same age as the first Queen Elizabeth 400 years

earlier. And she embodies all the best qualities that are mostly

important to our country and lends such distinction to our nation. The

Queen brings to our national life and experience and knowledge of

Government and events and of men and women all over the world wishes

truly unrivalled by any other person in the land. Throughout her long

reign, she has displayed judgment of the first order, great tolerance and

absolute neutrality at all times. Mr Speaker, when she ascended to the

throne, her first trimester, Winston Churchill, was of an age to have

charged with the 21st line sees -- lances in 1800. Present Prime

Minister was not even born 60 years ago. It has been an extraordinary 90

years of some of the most tumultuous, social and technological

change Britain has ever seen. She has provided a very firm hand. She

is a source of powerful influence for this country throughout the

world. She is the Queen of 16 countries, including Canada,

Australia and New Zealand and the head of the Commonwealth, a greatly

undervalued organisation that includes more than one quarter of

the world's population. She thus brings a vital and often

unrecognised edition -- addition to our efforts overseas. I think we

should pay great tribute to the work that she has done down the years in

that remarkable organisation since 1949. Every country, Mr Speaker,

need someone who can represent the whole nation. It might seem

primitive, and indeed it is, but if nationhood is to mean anything, it

has to have a focus. In our case, for many years now, that focus has

been and remains the Queen. The nations do have values and they

should be proud of them and be willing to express our pride. And

that is what we are able to do with our monarchy and with our Queen. Mr

Speaker, it is my firmly held belief that the Queen is the single most

important, respected, at my ad and loved public figure in the world

today. And I will, if I may, concluded with something I have told

you before but it bears repeating. On the night of the 4th of April,

1955, on the eve of his resignation as Prime Minister, Churchill gave a

dinner at Number 10 in honour of the Queen. It was agreed between the

private offices that there would be no speeches. But the Queen, greatly

moved by the impending retirement of her first by Minister, who she had

knowledge and she was a very small child, rose in her place and lifted

her glass with a toast, to my Prime Minister. And truck very old man, in

the field dress evening in a form of a night of the Garter, completely

unprepared, pulled herself to his feet. This is what he said to the

Queen. He said, madam, I propose a toast to your Majesty. I used to

drink as an officer in Bangalore, India, in the reign of your

Majesty's great, great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. And I drink to the

wise and kindly way of life of which your Majesty is the young and

climbing champion. -- gleaming champion. For the 90 years for life

and 60 plus years of her reign, she has always been the same. God Save

The Queen. It is an honour to co-sponsor to

the's motion with the Prime Minister, the Leader of the

Opposition and follow on from the right honourable gentleman who spoke

so eloquently. I would like to put on record the appreciation of people

in Scotland to Her Majesty. She has had a light in connection with these

people and the coming into the country. -- lifetime connection.

Well she has served as head of state are marketable 32 independent

countries in her unprecedented rain, her association with Scotland is

enduring and it is special. Just last year, the Queen and the Duke of

Edinburgh marked the day she became the UK's longest reigning monarch

with a steam train ride from Edinburgh for the opening of the new

Borders Railway. When she was born, she was delivered by a Scottish

nurse and since then has been making regular visits north of the border.

Her youngest days were spent in Angus, where her mother and

grandparents were from. Much of her childhood was spent at Balmoral on

part of our honeymoon was nearby. One of our first official tasks on

becoming Queen after the death of her father, King Georges sixth, was

to plant a cherry tree at the parish church of Holyrood house. After her

coronation, crowds lined this treats of the Scottish capital as the Queen

received the honours in Scotland, the Scottish crown, sceptre and

sword of state. And the 1950s, there were concerns about how Her Majesty

could be Queen Elizabeth II in Scotland when we had not had Queen

Elizabeth the first. And elegant solution was found in postboxes

north of the border, where there is a Scottish Crown rather than the

Royal cipher. ERII She has been a regular visitor to Scotland. The

most remarkable for me was in 1999 reopening of the Scottish parliament

after recess of nearly 300 years. Who can forget the entire chamber

collar all MSPs of all parties, public gallery, Her Majesty and Duke

of Edinburgh, all singing Robert Burns. As head of the Commonwealth,

she attended the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Always good with keeping up with The Times, Majesty went viral on Twitter

following a trip to the Glasgow National hockey centre after

appearing to photo, selfie -- photo bomb a selfie with its Chilean

player in the background. There is an appreciation that it is at

Balmoral that she likes to be most. Queen Victoria described Balmoral as

her heaven on earth. The current Queen is said to be never happier

than spending her summer break in the north-east estate. Her private

home, which was handed down through generations of Royals. The usual

two-month stay in August and September, traditionally includes a

visit to the Highland Games... Her Majesty has also had a love of the

Hebrides and cruising around the islands and coastline. One story I

particularly recall is from 2006, when the royal party were murdered

off the West Coast of Kintyre. The Queen wanted to see the famous

gardens. But no advance arrangements had been made. So, Princess Anne

apparently cycled to the local newsagents to see if there was a way

that her mother could be transported around. That Julie happened in the

people carrier of the newsagent by the newsagent. That must have been a

sight to behold. There are legion of stories from tourists and visitors

encountering a lady bearing a striking resemblance to her modesty

walking her dogs alone at after's seat in Edinburgh, or offering them

a lift as she drove her Land Rover around. I'm sure my colleague, the

member for West Aberdeenshire and can garden, might have more of these

stories the recount. Her Majesty's connections to

Aberdeenshire are many. She read the Aberdeen Journal and we've heard

that she is an accomplished speaker of the Doric, which is no mean feat.

She also leads small and large companies and businesses including

Speyside firms. In total, there are more than 80 companies holding royal

warrants and no doubt many more would want to hold them as well. Mr

Speaker, a 90th birthday is a remarkable milestone for all who

reach it but particularly for our head of state and her ongoing

lifetime of head of service. We wish her, the Duke of Edinburgh and all

of her family well and look forward to many further years of outstanding

public service. Thank you, Mr Speaker for calling me on what I

think is a momentous day to celebrate the birthday of our

longest serving monarch. I have to say that it is also today that I

celebrate my birthday. Although a little younger than Her Majesty, I

feel that a Beatles song would be most appropriate if I find it among

my birthday presents. I have always been immensely proud to share the

date of my birth with our monarch. When I was very little in Cardiff,

my father always used to kids me that the 24 gun salute was in fact

for me. I did find out fairly shortly that it was for a much more

importantly. Like many here today, I am a modern Elizabethan and we have

never known any other monarch and we are staunchly proud to live in the

reign of Queen Elizabeth II. She is truly a beacon and an exemplar of

dedication to the people of the United Kingdom and an exemplar of

dedication to duty. She is also a wonderful role model for women not

just in this country but around the world, particularly as women try to

take their place in public life and to have a voice in the Government of

their countries. In this House, and in Parliament, we know about public

service. But none of us will ever equal what our queen does as a

matter of course in caring for all the people of this kingdom and

across the globe in the countries of the Commonwealth. The Queen's

achievement in drawing together all the countries of the Commonwealth

for their mutual support and benefit is truly magnificent. It is a

notable achievement I think in this day and age and one which is a

testament to her gentle guardianship and powerful advocacy. Mr Speaker,

the poet John Milton lived for a while in my constituency and his

cottage is still there, preserved as a monument to his work. He was a

parliamentarian and a person who argued against the restoration of

the monarchy. A servant of the then Commonwealth, but I would like to

think that had John Milton known our monarch, he would have altered his

view. As it is, I turned to his words. He wrote about Shakespeare,

whose 400 set anniversary we celebrate in two days, that is the

boredom playwright needed no monument. He said, in our wonder and

astonishment, have built myself a lifelong monument. Mr Speaker,

through a long life with the welfare of her people always at the heart

and centre of her being, Her Majesty The Queen has created such a

monument. This place is often described as the mother of

Parliaments that Her Majesty is truly the mother of our

parliamentary democracy and easily commands our love and respect. Long

may the Queen rule over us and, your Majesty, a very happy birthday to.

Mr Speaker, this morning when I was buying my muffin in portcullis

house, I noticed on the claimant with which I paid, Elizabeth II. But

today is not about the Elizabeth on our coins. Today is about the

Elizabeth in our hearts. She is of course Her Majesty The Queen but

today is not a royal occasion, though it is an occasion about a

royal. Turning 90 is a marvellous signpost in life, as I hope to

anticipate myself before too long. Not long ago, one of my sisters

turned 19 and we had a huge family celebration -- 90. And today, the

National family is celebrating very much including this House. I

remember the celebrations for King George the's Silver Jubilee. I was

five years old at the time and I was in hospital recovering from having

my tonsils out. -- King George V. I remember the ceremony of the Jubilee

being broadcast on the wireless throughout the ward. This ceremony

was of course very impressive even to somebody of my age, but it was

respected but remote. Over the generations, Her Majesty The Queen's

family has had its share of visits to choose, some handled with greater

adroitness than others. But over these years, Her Majesty The Queen

has sustained and increased the potency of the monarchy and that

emerges from her own personality. That emerges from the fact that not

only has she been brought up to serve, but it is her instinct to

serve and to associate. The bases of these celebrations today is that she

has turned the nation into a united family in a way never achieved by

any previous monarch. And I would say, never even attempted by a

previous monarch. We are all together and that is why people feel

so strongly and so happily about this celebration today. As shown in

the photographs of a recent visit by Her Majesty to my constituency,

which I have in my house, people are not only honoured to meet the Queen,

they are delighted. They are honoured by the position that they

are delighted by the person and this is the reason, Mr Speaker, why we

celebrate so gladly today. It's not just congratulations, your Majesty.

It's happy birthday, Elizabeth. Mr Speaker, two of my best memories are

seeing the Queen at schools or academies. She came in 1999 to

Worthing. It was a delight to see the young people and all the staff,

academic and support staff, so pleased by her recognition of what

they did together. On the 26th of October 2012, she came to an academy

and Howard Hill and I don't think I have ever seen young people chatting

so amiably during a school lunch as they did with her when they got her

talking about her experiences during the war. I look on her as someone

who provides a focus for voluntary service, the civil service and for

the military service. One of my best friends was very proud, he held her

warrants as a police constable, something he has in common with the

Chief constables, all equal, all serving the country through the

Queen. My father held her appointment as an ambassador and

previously as a Second Lieutenant in the Army. I think we can change our

feminist during the war, the Great War and end the Second World War,

without everything going to pieces shows the value of having a monarch

accepted by people on all sides. Many other things one could say, but

I think I can be brief and add my congratulations to those who have

spoken already who I think has set the tone for today which I think we

welcome by the Queen and if we can live up to her example, we will do

well for the country as well. She has helped to lead this country

through difficult times, good times, but most of all she has given a

great deal of pleasure to those trying to do their duty to others.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. We gathered today not only to rejoice in the

Queen having lived a long and glorious life but to celebrate the

rain that encompasses so much of the lives of almost everyone that she

rolls over today. The Queen was not, we must remember, born to this role.

She was not an area and not expected to ascend to the throne. Instead,

with her mother, father and sister, she was part of a loving and

contented family growing up in devoted content of her grandfather

King George. In the shade of her glamorous uncle, the Prince of

Wales. That is peaceful life came to an end for the Duke of York and his

family with the trauma of the abdication. But as His Majesty King

George VI, with the support of Elizabeth and later the Queen mother

and their daughters, ensured that the Crown remained at the heart of

its peoples' affections and together they embodied our will to defeat the

great evil of living memory and to win the war to ensure that Chris

prospers rather than perished in Europe and across the world. Her

Majesty, iconic and perpetual as she sometimes seems, is not a symbol.

She is rather a reminder to us all of that generation who did great

things and stopped terrible things from being done to us. Our history,

and it is a great one as a history that we can be truly proud of, is

not something that our Queen merely symbolises. It is something that she

and her generation lived for us and thank God she and they did. In

deserved and dramatic fashion, the Queen' life underdog war saw a

dashing young hero into her life and Her Majesty in her choice of husband

has kept us all alert, invigorated and more than once amused. Their

life together, rising on some 70 years, is a tribute to the character

of both our Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Only yesterday, we saw

the wonderful picture of Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales, the tube of

Cambridge and the young Prince George. Altogether, continuity and

change in one loving and beloveds image. The gift of the Queen model's

life includes seeing the future that surely lies in store. We in the

column she has done so much to restore see that the crown rests on

a long line of security. In a country such as ours and the other

realms of which she reigns, the Crown the Queen wears embodies our

unity. In my corner of this kingdom, Northern Ireland, it will never be

forgotten how steadfastly Queen was in her support for and affection

towards our afflicted province. I can personally attest during my time

as Lord Maher of the great city of Belfast to her compassion and

concern for those affected by the violence. -- Lord mayor. Those dark

days are, we pray, over now but Her Majesty's enduring interest and

contribution towards peace in Northern Ireland continues. Her

frequent visits and those of other members of the Royal family are

always warmly received right across the community. For that, and so much

more, we from Northern Ireland are immensely grateful. I, like most,

have known no other sovereign. We have been blessed through the

generations to have one so dedicated to the service of our country and

the Commonwealth and the nations of the Commonwealth are joining with us

today in our tributes to the Queen and the Commonwealth is, as we have

been reminded, a powerful expression of the unifying and inspirational

spirit of its great head. It is but one of Her Majesty's great injuring

legacies. She has been the rock upon which this country has continued to

nourish and has built the democracy so envied throughout the world. Her

shining face has been a constant and unwavering inspiration through times

of national celebration and national sadness. And in times of personal

sadness, Her Majesty has shown great grace that comes with great faith.

We are thankful for the wonderful life that God has given us in his

servant, Queen Elizabeth, and may he in our great wisdom and his great

mercy, be pleased to grant Her Majesty and we heard people the

continued blessing of having her reign over us for many many more

years to come. Sir Howarth. Gerald Thank you for

calling me and I hope the duty under delegated committee, you may come to

my aid should I be chastised by the Whip's office. I am delighted to

join my right honourable friend in once again saluting Her Majesty's

dedicated service to the nation and the Commonwealth and wishing her

many happy returns on this the 90th birthday. I do so as a member

privileged to represent overshot the home of the British Army and I am

authorised by the most senior officer to associate the garrison

most warmly with today's tributes. The Majesty is head of the Armed

Forces. Soldiers, sailors and airmen like members of parliament swear an

oath of allegiance to the sovereign. It is she the surf and that bond

between the sovereign and the men and women of the Armed Forces is a

very special one. Not least because in her is personified the ideal of

service. Whilst King George II was the last sovereign to lead his

forces into battle, Elizabeth the second has led from the front by

example. Not least in appalling her commitment to defend the faith, our

Christian faith. My own modest commission in the Royal Air Force

volunteer reserve hangs prominently on my study wall to remind me of the

duty I hope to my sovereign. The Prime Minister knows how important

the support of a spouses as he discharges his duties and I'm sure

he gets advice from his spouse. I certainly do. I think it is

therefore right today that we should reflect also on the support which

the Duke of Edinburgh has given the Queen throughout her life. Whilst we

have not been privileged to know the nature of any advice he may have

given to Her Majesty we can be sure that his immense reservoir of common

sense and capacity for plain speaking will have been an added

blessing to her. As others have said, Her Majesty does have a

wonderful sense of humour. I recall stories of the Privy Council meeting

where a cabinet minister was present and during that meeting the Cabinet

Mr 's telephone had not been switched off and it rang and the

Cabinet minister talk the fallout a handbag and moves away to answer it

and when she had finished the call Her Majesty turned to the Cabinet in

this and said somebody important was it? Finally, I conclude with the

editorial in this week's country life which has relocated to my

constituency and they say in the editorial, often accused in the past

of being too traditional it is now her old-fashioned values and

steadfastness that have made her someone to be admired and emulated

the world over. Her long reign and vast Achaemenid wisdom have helped

to stabilise relations across the world, especially within the

Commonwealth. We owe Her Majesty a great debt of gratitude. God Save

The Queen. In the event the honourable gentleman is chastised he

can always advise the web to sample the joys of riparian entertainments.

It is something I did myself in years past. I am very pleased to

follow the right honourable gentleman from Aldershot. I am

grateful to contribute to this collective greeting. I wish to read

three experiences from my period as Vice Chamberlain of the fight --

while household. As colleagues will no the Vice Chamberlain who

traditionally is the senior government whip has a variety of

duties to fulfil. Three of them are designing a daily message to send to

Her Majesty outlining what's happening here. Acting as hostage

during the State Openings of Parliament and taking treaties to be

signed by Her Majesty and presenting them here to the House of Commons.

When I was first presented to Her Majesty in 2003 and I asked her the

same question as I'm sure all my predecessors and successors, watch

you would like to see in the message, her answer was that what

generally doesn't make the papers would be of interest. Given the way

we are reporting in today's media that is a pretty high bar. The

second duty is as hostage since our predecessors executed Charles the

first in 1649 every time the moniker comes to visit as we have to send a

senior MP to ask as hostage and I did that on two occasions and I did

get the impression of being the impression I was not allowed to

leave but the Buckingham Alice officials said I could have Coffey,

Walkabout but I wasn't leaving. When I expressed my anxiety is a short

time later, Mike Jackson said you should not have worried, if anything

happened to Her Majesty we would have just shot you. He wasn't

kidding. The third experiences on Easter when we had to have a

document signed to be presented to the House and the civil servants

contacted Buckingham Palace who responded that Her Majesty wasn't at

Buckingham Palace, she was at Windsor and our officials said

Fitzpatrick will go to Windsor to get this document signed. The

message came back from Her Majesty and said Mr Fitzpatrick is coming

all the way to Windsor, ask if you would like to stay to lunch. My

civil servants said, do you want to stay for lunch? I said bite her

royal handoff. When I was being driven down to Windsor Castle on a

semi-day I was wondering how many people does Her Majesty entertained

to lunch at Easter on the Monday and they were six of us. Her private

secretary, myself and Her Majesty. I was totally unprepared for this. It

is a measure of the human -- humanity of the dear lady that for

an hour and a half she commanded the conversation and included everybody.

Not having known her at all before she demonstrated her charm,

generosity and the Regal must. I am grateful for the experience of

having been Vice Chamberlain the two years and I am very grateful to my

constituents and greetings to Her Majesty on this day. Her Majesty The

Queen came to the throne the year that I was born so she is the only

moniker I have ever known and because of the way she has fulfilled

her duties I am a staunch royalist. In my time in this place we had one

Prime Minister who behaved as if he was president and that certainly

confirmed my view how blessed we are to have a moniker rather than a

president. I have seen at first hand the joy that the Queen brings to

people's lives. I remember her visit in 1999 to my two constituencies.

Residents were thrilled with her visits, something we politicians

struggle to achieve. Mr Speaker I represent the highest number of

centenarians in the country and I am constantly attending centenarian

birthday parties. My own mother is 14 years older than the Queen and I

know how thrilled she was to receive her telegram and I have told her

that the good Lord needs to spare here for another year if she is to

receive her second telegram. Finally, when I had the good fortune

of being invested at Windsor Castle last year I was in absolute awe of

how a woman of nearly 90 stood for over an hour and with the

conversation and manner made it such a specialised memorable occasion for

each of the recipients. I should say Her Majesty has only made one

mistake in her life and that is when she observed that I had been a

member of Parliament for a long time and she asked me had I seen many

changes and her eyes glaze over as I went on and on. You and I know only

too well what a challenge it can be being nice to people morning, noon

and night. Her Majesty certainly succeeds in that regard and like

myself. So this wonderful and gracious lady has served our country

with integrity, charm and dignity for all of her life, through the

upheavals and tribulations our nation has faced. Her own personal

life with all its tragedies and sorrows has never been allowed to

come between her and her subjects. She has been a constant example to

all of us rising above party politics and the ebb and flow of

public opinion. She has been faultlessly impartial, loyal only to

her people. The natural warmth and empathy that she has shown

throughout her long reign had endeared her even to the most

hardened Republican and she is now more loved than she has ever been.

So yes, long may she reign over us. God Save The Queen and can we please

all have of this birthday cake we keep hearing about. I think I have

just been introduced by the honourable gentleman who just spoke.

I believe the most momentous moment the Queen's reign was the visit was

when she stood dressed in green in Croke Park and bowed her head in

penitence because of the terrible massacre that have placed there.

That was an act of humility and Majesty which had an enormous

symbolic effect and will continue to have that effect on relations

between the nations of this island. I want to give a special words of

thanks on behalf of the people in the country who regard themselves as

proud Republicans. I have affection for her and it goes back a very long

time. I did know another monarchy in this country and until today she was

a fellow octogenarian and she teaches us a great lesson, an

example of this House should take. We have done well on diversity as

bad as ethnic minorities and women are concerned but we are improving

but we're still dreadfully under represented by octogenarian is in

this House and I am reminded by my friend the Leader of the Opposition

of Mildred Gordon who became an MP and Ian Mercado stood down because

he felt he was sold and the Labour Party chose Mildred Gordon who was

older and she served with distinction in this institution. I

want to say there is a distinction between respect for Her Majesty and

criticism of the institution of monarchy. She has continued the

institution and given it new life and meaning because of her own

personality and because of her decision not to be broiled in anyway

in affairs that are political. I believe there was an occasion

described by the late member for Cambridge when he wrote an article

describing what might have been a crisis in the party when Mrs

Thatcher was about to leave office and at that time the fear expressed

was that if Mrs Thatcher had decided to call a general election she was

more popular in the country than she was in the House or the party at the

time and the Conservative Party could not stop the calling an

election and neither could Parliament and neither could anyone

else but the Queen could and I believe that was an example of where

the personality of the Queen would have acted in the interests of the

country rather than the interests of a Prime Minister and that is the

supreme job of any monarchy in this country. I am happy as a Republican

to speak for a city where the last revolution or attempted revolution

to set up a Republic to placing 1839 and it's interesting that last week

Mr Mark reckless came into Newport to launches campaign and paid

tributes to the attractions of Chartism as a forerunner of Ukip is.

People have suggested this was opportunist but I don't think it was

because I believe if that honourable gentleman had stood in Coventry he

would have probably ever arrives in the constituency naked on a horse.

Is great privilege to be called in this debate and may I say that I

share 81 years of life with Her Majesty and I have watched with

great interest all that time and those of us who wish to have a new

system of heads of state can stay with deep sincerity, happy birthday,

ma'am. Mr Speaker, having cocksure eye, I want to pay tribute to Her

Majesty as one of -- caught your eye. I represent Buckingham Palace,

and in my case, Sandringham. I want to endorse what the Prime Minister

has said because from the moment Her Majesty stepped off that flight back

from Kenya on February seven, 1952 to return to a nation in mourning,

her life has been one of relentless, selfless and dedicated duty to our

nation. And also to Britain's dependencies, our overseas territory

and are realms. And I'm very glad that the Prime Minister and indeed

my honourable friend for a Mid Sussex mentioned the Commonwealth

because this is ceaseless service also applies to the Commonwealth. It

has been pointed out, started out as a loose a Association that has grown

into an incredible organisation that includes 2 billion plus people in

this world and 30% of the world's population. It truly global

organisation that I believe has led to countries within the Commonwealth

core operating and collaborating as never before and I believe Her

Majesty can be very proud of how this organisation has moved forward.

Mr Speaker, this extraordinary levels service and indeed ongoing

service to our nation is in stark contrast to the cult of the Ute that

seems to have taken over -- cult of youth that has taken over a lot of

democracies. This has given a lot of hope to people such as myself. But I

wanted its thing about Sandringham because Her Majesty could easily be

excused for coming to her beloveds antonym to get away from London as

the pressures of work, to relax with her family, for courses on the two

studs and with her dogs. But every year, without fail, Her Majesty

carries out numerous local visits, many of them to the same

organisations every year without fail. But every year, she will go

and visit new organisations, for example, opening new village halls,

a new ward of the hospital in Kingston, are local museums and

businesses -- King's Lynn. And what I have noticed is that what she has

met the dignities, she always makes it clear that she wants to go and

meet real people. She shows to those people and failing courtesy, good

humour and a deep knowledge of West Norfolk and time and again, she has

brought an told joy and happiness to my constituents. And so many

different occasions. I think she personifies the dignity and civics

Perrett that are the very Best of Norfolk and also the very best of

British and very often beside her is her consort, the Duke of Edinburgh,

Prince Philip who has been an indefatigable rock of support. We

celebrate the birthday of a remarkable person but we also

celebrate something else. We celebrate that covenant between the

monarch and the people which under her stewardship has made the

monarchy is stronger than ever. So, long may she reign over us. Thank

you, Mr Speaker for calling me especially since I only entered the

chamber when the premise was concluding his remarks and I can say

on this occasion, having not heard them, I would have agreed with them

all. My apologies. It is a massive honour to give praise and to

acknowledge the service of Her Majesty on her 90th birthday will

stop unlike many people in this place, the occasions I've had to

speak with Her Majesty are very limited, one occasion believed. As a

very new member of Parliament, and she was asking me about how I was

getting onto the setting up as a new MP. How did I cope with the

correspondence? And I did confide that on occasions people would come

unto me the street and say, thank you or acknowledged that the letter

I had written to them and I would sometimes go blank. I'm sure

colleagues might share the sensation, thinking, what are they

talking about? I can trigger the detail. She said, this happens to me

all the time. I always say, it's the least I can do. It's a nice get out

of jail card that we can perhaps cling onto. Her Majesty has an

occasion to visit formerly my part of the world on two occasions in her

reign. The first was 1956, 14 years before I was born. It was the year

of the Suez crisis and the clean air act. It was the year that you do

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 and in the 57 years in between those two

visits and indeed since she shouldn't be thrown, so much has

changed for all of us. So much has changed for Britain and the world we

live in. The Elizabethan age will be reviewed by history as a vast

transformational, tumultuous era, during which our Queen has provided

immense constancy which I think will be looked back on as the thread

which ones do all of it and 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 read Britain into the European Common market and then people vote

to remain in when I was five years of age. She has in Britain leads the

world by becoming the first 27 country to commit not .7% of GDP in

international development. She has seen us become world leaders in

taking charge of tackling climate change. She has seen technological

advances raced ahead from any telegram or a radio programme was a

thing of great and claimant to the prevalence of satellite television,

the iPhone and letters being supplanted by e-mails, playgrounds

conversations by Facebook updates. But through all those years of

change and upheaval, one thing has been a constant and that has been

Her Majesty's selfless service to Britain, admired around the world

for a consistent advocacy of Britain at its best. Iron bound to say, as

others have, that she embodies the value of their being a

constitutional monarchy. A neutral person who is above politics and a

foundation upon which our Constitution, to whom all of us

whatever our political views, can look and share and allegiance. That

is an immensely valuable thing. So, even as we contemplate the

monumental things that have occurred during Her Majesty's rain, it is

worth remembering that birthdays are a very personal occasions. They are

an opportunity to celebrate the lives we live and give thanks with

friends and family. Hers has been an extraordinary life and an

extraordinary example of all in public life of the meaning of public

service. As we and others paid tribute to her example, I hope that

she with so many friends, grandchildren, children,

great-grandchildren and a loving husband experiences the same joy and

pleasure we all do when we get together to celebrate with those

that we love. And as wonderful and historic dates, and a half of my

party and constituents, I paid tribute to Her Majesty's dedication

to a lifetime of public service, to her faith and to wish a very happy

birthday and many more to come. I thank God for her service. Long live

the Queen. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am honoured and humbled to be able

to follow other members and the Prime Minister in congratulating Her

Majesty The Queen on her 90th birthday and indeed and 90 years of

tremendous service to her country and the common law. How fortunate we

are to be British, to have a head of state in this conflict is modern age

who is admired and respected throughout the world. The

contribution Her Majesty has made to the standing of the United Kingdom

in the world is hard to overestimate. From my own view, the

Queen's gritters contribution has been as a steadying influence on

British life through good times and bad, the one guaranteed constant in

all our lives. In many ways, she has been at the nation's grandmother. At

the age of 45, I am precisely half the age of the Queen yet when I was

born, she had already been Queen for 18 years. She had been a public

figure for many years before that. Indeed, like so many members of the

Royal family, the Queen has let her entire life in the public gaze. She

sat for pictures almost from birth and she made her first solo public

appearance when she was a mere 16. Indeed, she has been a lady of many

firsts. She was the first British monarch to visit China, Australia,

and New Zealand. The first to address the US Congress, and the

first head of state to have opened not one but two Olympic Games. She

made her first televised Christmas broadcast in 1957 and was the first

monarch and one of the first people in the world to send an e-mail as

early as 1976. It is to Her Majesty's credit that lobbying a

figure of great stability, she is also moved with the times. As we

entered the digital age, the Royal e-mail address was launched in 2007

as was the Royal Channel on YouTube, the role Twitter account went live

in 2009 and the royal Facebook page in 2010. Today, the British monarchy

has 2.2 million followers on Twitter and growing even today. 2.7 million

likes on Facebook. That is a number of many of us in this place would be

rather jealous. A Google search for Queen Elizabeth II returns over 21

million results and for the Queen returns 240 million results and

while many others past and present can claim that is rather generic

title, the Queen, you have to go to page six of the results before you

come to any other topic than Her Majesty. Incidentally and not

surprisingly, it is indeed a public house. The Queen is one of if not

what the most recognisable public figure in the world and yet as we

have heard, one of her former protection officers has shared in

most enduring stories this week. I recognise that the honourable member

who represents Balmoral is here today so I will not serial the punch

line of that story but it shows how gracious Her Majesty is. So many

people have personal stories of their own interactions with Her

Majesty. She has met hundreds of thousands of her subjects and

millions have seen her face-to-face at one of the many great festivals

and events that she attends each year. In 2012 during Jubilee year,

many residents of Worcestershire met Her Majesty when she opens the highs

library and history Centre in Worcester and she attended a

reception at the Guildhall. Such personal interactions are one of the

main reasons why she is so incredibly and enduringly popular.

Opinion polls show that Britons continue Queen Elizabeth II is to be

our greatest ever monarch despite considerable, petition and she has

reigned over a new Elizabethan age. We are fortunate to have shared that

era with her. On behalf of my constituents, the Royal people of

Ulster, and all the people of Worcestershire, I wish her a very

happy 90 birthday. -- Worcester. It's a pleasure to join in the

celebration today. I am looking forward to returning home this

evening to my husband and four children for our own celebration

because today is not only Her Majesty's budget but also the

birthday of my daughter. April 21 is a daily diary member very well, one

which was particularly long in number of years ago. My daughter has

prepared her own birthday wish list. I do not know if Her Majesty has

done the same thing, but I think they may share some of the same

aspirations for the future. I and a lighter to wish them both a very

happy birthday. I should also add for the benefit of the Speaker as

the House of Commons that I have just returned from my delegation at

the Council of Europe or that house can be assured that Her Majesty's

birthday will be celebrated in the normal manner just about now. For

the past 64 years, Scotland has enjoyed Her Majesty's leadership.

Indeed, in 1999, she said that our country has a special place in my

own and my family's heart and I know that Scotland feels the same in

return and we very much look forward to her opening the new Scottish

parliament after the elections next month. Mr Speaker, the people of my

constituency are very proud of our royal connections, especially our

association with the Queen's grandson and his wife. Through

26-year-olds could have been prepared to cope with the brawl that

she inherited in 1952, but it has been clear to all that she has

provided it cleverly leadership over the last decade and hopefully for

many to come. Over and above this, to have been seen to conduct

yourself in it chorus manner in any of unprecedented public scrutiny has

been an example to us all in public life. Mr Speaker, I am proud to have

been honoured for my work in business and within Scotland's Asian

community by receiving an all be evil. -- all BT.

Believed the honour wasn't just a personal one, a commitment to the

whole of the Asian community in Scotland, reinforcing our valuable

place in its fabric. I believe how lovely indeed, that the lady

preparing the birthday cake for Her Majesty is also a member of the

Asian community, I have no doubt that Nadia's cake will be a mass

fierce, the recognition I received from Her Majesty symbolised to me

and my father, and those of us with Pakistani heritage, that it has, we

have all been accepted into the heart of this country. This is a

gift that could only have been bestowed by somebody who conducts

themselves outside politics. I was fortunate enough to have been

presented with the OBE by Her Majesty herself, what I remember

about the conversation I had with her she spoke so knowledgeably about

work I had been involved w and the achievement of the organisations I

had supported. I remember thinking, at that time, that to carry out

these duties, for every single recipient she met that day, with

skill and insight, must have taken considerable personal commitment,

and preparation on her part. And by committing herself so

diligently to her public duties at home and and broad, Her Majesty has

shown herself to be a model and modern constitutional monarch. Mr

Speaker, she has not only acted as our head of state but has been a

great servant to our democracy. I am glad to have this opportunity to

thank her once again, for her public service, and to wish her a very very

happy 90th birthday today. Thank you Mr Speaker. I am delighted

to speak and support this humble address on this splendid day,

celebrating the landmark 90th birthday of our be loved Queen

Elizabeth. It is an historic day where we celebrate the life and dead

casing of our Queen who is the oldest and longest reigning monarch,

two records she continues to extend which each passing day and I hope

she continues to do for many days and years to come. On the subject of

age, I do observer that on entering Parliament last year at a similar

age to Her Majesty when she ascended to the throne. It was an honour to

swear allegiance on taking my seat on the benches. In so doing I hope I

reflect the highest regard in which Her Majesty is held. As we remember

the Queen's popularity here, and at home, we should remember the role

through the world, and that she undertakes in the form of Head of

the Commonwealth. The organisation of 53 countries and remaining the

sovereign head of state, of a further 15 realms in addition to the

United Kingdom. Her Majesty's sense of duty is never stronger than when

it comes to her dealings with the Commonwealth and now as ever is a

fitting time to remember how much Britain owes to the Commonwealth and

how much its members and citizens have supported us in times of

difficulty. Aside from that, some of Her Majesty's duties have sausaged I

haves to my own constituency of hazing Grove. She last visited in

1977. As part of the celebration for her Silver Jubilee, there she opened

Hazel Grove railway station, a fine example of Britain's 1970s urban

design, still there today. It is migrate pleasure as a councillor to

propose that the road currently under construction between Hazel

Grove and Manchester Airport be named the Queen Elizabeth II way in

her honour, were she keen to come and open the road, I am sure she

would be warmly welcomed by my and my constituents. However, I

redegreed to remind the house that my stit city has not always enjoyed

such a happy relationship. It was the, in 2 town of Marple the home of

John Bradshaw, the lead judge at the trial of Charles I who later became

an MP for Cheshire. Charles I was the great, great, great, great,

great, great, great and that is eight greats for the benefit of

Hansard sentence nothing fers. The then monarch was the tyrant traitor,

murderer and public enemy, let me reassure the house that no such

Republican tendencies arise in me, and nor have I detected them among

my constituents. The country, the country has truly taken our current

monarch to our collective hearts. I was interested to read some polling

figures in The Evening Standard which found 67% holding the Queen in

high favour ability. The Queen is herself of course above all of this,

and I understand she is a much bigger fan of the Racing Post rather

than the standard, but we can be sure that, but we can be sure there

are members and right honourable members and right honourable friends

who would yearn for such popularity, in addition her grandchildren were

reported to receive similar high favour about ratings, suggesting

that the monarchy is in good shape for generations to come. This is

great news and having a monarch in the form we do, we are spared the

prospect of a Presidential head of state.

Rather the Queen is above politics, is steadfast in her belief,

resolute, as he executes her duties faithfully as she. Proitsed and will

continue to do so. In my opinion the secret of her success is that she

believes in what she is doing, and has dedicated and is dedicated to

the service of Britain, and our place in the world, long may she

reign, God Save The Queen and happy birthday ma' am. All over loyal

Ulster Her Majesty The Queen will be receiving best birthday wish, and

it's a huge and humbling trait to join with and join with my

constituents in particular. At prayers this morning, your chaplain

prayed for Her Majesty The Queen, the words, may she have long life,

and everlasting Felicity, that prayer asking for a long and joyous

life is answered on a daily basis, for her imagine industry the Queen,

we thank God for his mercy to her as she terns her 91st year and for her

faithfulness, not only to this nation, but to her ridge. It is with

great joy, that we we extend to our gracious sovereign the many happy

returns and wish she has many, many more in the future, find I would

like to see the constitution Aldi Liberal Democrat what of how the

Queen gets over the problem of sending herself a tell gram when she

reaches a century. Just this week, the Lord Lieutenant of the County,

invited me to a Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen, to which

I will of course most certainly attend. The people of Northern

Ireland are always in a buzz when they learn of a royal visit, during

her time as Princess Elizabeth she visited northern on three occasions

and made a further 20 official visits to Northern Ireland as Queen.

The many visits throughout her reign have always been successful, in

terses of their outreach and engagement, despite the at times

very real personal threat to herself and to the Royal Family. On one

occasion the IRA made the sinister threat that they would give her a

visit to remember. The same IRA of course murdered Lord Mountbatten in

Ireland, today she is witness to the remarkable change of which she has

played no small part, in the change in attitude, in fact the very man

who is in second of command of the require at the time of that murder

and the time of that threat is the Deputy First Minister of Northern

Ireland, and in law, accepts the Queen as hit Queen, so much so that

every piece of legislation he signs, commences with the words, be it

enacted by her gracious Majesty the Queen. What a remarkable change, the

Queen has reigned over and no small success on her part. The Prime

Minister today, importantly referred to the Queen's landmark visit to the

Republic of Ireland and what a success that was, who know, maybe

Her Majesty will see the 55th nights joining the Commonwealth, and will

see Ireland playing a considerable part to the trade and relationships

of that wonderful organisation. Anyone who has met Her Majesty The

Queen remembers every aspect of that meeting. The conversation, and the

circumstance, the happy memories that flow from it, and indeed,

tonight, the Queen will light the first beacon to mark her birthday in

Windsor great park. I am delighted that 17-year-old army cadet Emma Lee

Ray from County Antrim will be at her side representing Northern

Ireland, that will be an inspiring moment for Emma Lee, that she will

cherish I believe for the rest of her life. The release today of the

stamps of Her Majesty The Queen, her son, her grandson and great grandson

is a real inspiration to us all and emphasises the sure line of

succession and the ever increasing popularity of the monarch, and

indeed in which the monarch is held. Long may she reign over us, many

happy returns ma' am on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland. As

other honourable members have indicated it an honour to be able to

pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen today. As other honourable members

have said, what an amazing an inspirational 90 years they have

been. Her Majesty's commitment and dedication to our nation, to public

duty throughout her life, through the good time, and the bad, are the

envy of the world. Mr Speaker, there are two businesses in my

constituency that have been inspired as a result of receiving award from

Her Majesty. A textile company received the Queen's award for

international trade in 2009. And sailing clothes company received the

Queen's Award for Enterprise as a result of increasing export sales to

75% of the total revenue in 2011. Those awards are treasured and

displayed with immense pride in those businesses.

Sadly, my constituents have never had the honour of a visit from the

great lady. In fact, the last time a Monday that visited us was over 100

years ago in June 1914 when Her Majesty's grandfather King George V

opened a grammar school. The king pressed a button while standing in

the market place, which opened the school gates. That was a good half a

mile away, and well out of sight. And the story goes a charge relayed

the success of the operation back to the assembled crowds in the town

centre. It is reported that the king did pass by the school, in his car,

on his way out-of-town, and did have a few words with the headmaster.

So Mr Speaker, I want to add to the list of invites my honourable friend

from Hazel Grove has already given and take the opportunity to invite

Her Majesty to my constituency to open the new train station, where

she will be able to alight at the station, and not behalf a mile away

when she opens it. And despite her great years, honourable members will

know that her imagine industry is a very modern lady. I feel she

probably won't have time today to be listening to the tributes being paid

in this House, so I am sure he will bh catching up on YouTube later, so

hopefully she will get the invitation to my constituency to

open the station in that way. So Mr Speaker, on behalf our my

constituents may wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday and may she

enjoy many more to come. Thank you very much. It a great

pleasure to participant in this debate. Debate. I it was on these

benches ten years ago when I % painted in the 80th birthday

addresses. -- participated.

I mean I am on the exact same bench as I was ten years ago, the address

had six speakers and took about 15 minute, given the advance in time

today, I look forward to the length of the humble address in ten years'

time if indeed we are all spared. The Queen is six years older than

the SNP, and it is not the only connection, the private secretary's

first cousin is a SNP councillor in Stornoway and a very good one

indeed. Mentioning sporn way gives me the opportunity to seamlessly

mention one of the Queen's great passion, islands, and looking back

on my speech of ten years ago in the place, I praised her good sense for

her choice of holiday that year to mark her birthday, which was a sail

round the Hebrides as was alluded to by the member for Moray. She visited

all the islands, when she has come many times in fact, mostly

informally. Since then, I have met the Queen and asked her about the

trip and I can report happily she found it to be a very splendid

occasion indeed. In the intervening period many others have followed her

example and visited, and have had a right royal time in other ways I am

sure. I would of course encourage many others to follow the Queen's

example, and as well as welcoming those who will be coming back again

for a revisit, I certainly hope Her Majesty has the Hans to return to

the islands she has visited so much, and I can remember clearly seeing

the Royal Yacht with its three mast, from behind, as a youngster from my

grandmother's house, her enjoin is more than formal, it is very

personal indeed. People in the Hebrides were very pleased when the

Queen in Ireland spoke in ear Irish Gaelic in what was a great gesture.

So therefore, as I did on this debate ten years ago, I will end in

Scottish Gaelic, and say... Mr Speaker, I should Reich to

associate myself with the congratulations offered by the Prime

Minister and others to Her Majesty. Windsor cup when he said that Her

Majesty is the nation about my grandmother, perhaps I could add

that with her commitment to seeing a nation and serving God diet that she

is the nation's. Mother too. I'm delighted to rise to add the

heartfelt good wishes of the people of North East Hampshire and why we

have heard from all corners of the United Kingdom, there is perhaps not

much for me is to add. Looking at our country. Perhaps I can blog is

my contribution on Her Majesty's lifelong commitments to the

Commonwealth. Many countries around the world share our common history

and shared history leads to shared language, shared values, and I hope

a shared future. The majesty has overseen in its current form the

creation of the Commonwealth to harness this shared history around

the world as a forceful good a force for good the future given that the

Commonwealth is home to 2.2 billion people of which over 60% are under

the age of 30, and this is clear in my mind on Parliamentary group of

Sri Lanka, and Her Majesty has overlapped all the ten years of all

for Prime Minister says the country's independence. Her Majesty

and I have only one thing in common, both having only visited Sri Lanka

twice. A former British High Commissioner said following her

second visit, Her Majesty has fond memories of the first visit to Sri

Lanka in 1954. He continued, Mr Speaker, as part of engagements

during the visit, Her Majesty also addressed the nation from the

historic studios of radio Ceylon, now known as the Sri Lanka

broadcasting Corporation. She came back to Sri Lanka as head of the

Commonwealth, and people I have met travelling around the country fondly

recall memories of her second visit. Not only do these excerpts highlight

the mutual delight at each other's involvement in the Commonwealth but

they also illustrate the strength afforded by the changes that have

occurred. Her Majesty has helped ensure that Britain and Sri Lanka

have enjoyed a long association remaining cordial throughout the

various constitutional changes of recent decades. This is true of the

wider world. The United Kingdom's relationship with Australia, Canada,

and India and other Commonwealth countries has changed and is

stronger for it. Thousands of this Commonwealth students study in the

UK each year at world-class universities. There are this tedious

bursaries available. This provides real hope for the future. Tomorrow's

leaders across the world are being provided with the tools to create

and sustain the Commonwealth that is mutual respectful, resilient,

peaceful and prosperous. A Commonwealth that cherishes quality,

diversity, and our shared values. A Commonwealth that Her Majesty has

created, is committed to, and if I may be so bold, is rightly proud of.

God Save The Queen. Thank you Mr Speaker. It is a pleasure to be

called today to wish Her Majesty a happy 90th birthday. I have the

privilege to represent the royal residence of Balmoral will stop it

is this royal connection begun under Queen Victoria to my constituency

that gives the area I grew up in the name royal Deeside. In gives the

royal name to the local whiskey, and means that the highest concentration

of royal warrant holders anywhere in the UK is in my constituency. We

have had a very tough year, and is the royal family has supported them.

They are now open for business. It is fair to say that as has been

mentioned, the Royal family and Her Majesty are most at home when

spending time in my constituency, something I am proud to share with

Her Majesty. Mr Speaker, people living on ten Micro -- Royal

Deeside, they talk of her in light-hearted conversation, seeing

her driving along, he kindly lady. It is a nice thought to think of Her

Majesty in such a way. If I could just manage my brief remarks as the

speaker with a story, and I thank the member for Mid Worcestershire

the not recounting it, he told while walking near Balmoral Castle Her

Majesty encountered a group of American tourists. The tourist asked

if she was a local to which she replied that she had a house nearby.

The tourists then asked if she had met the Queen. No, and gesturing to

her protection officer, she said but he has! I'd like to finish by

wishing Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday and very many happy

returns. Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Thank you for your

enthusiastic endorsement. Now take the opportunity to thank the

previous speaker, the honourable member for west Aberdeen, it is a

pleasure to follow him. I'm honestly have this opportunity to speak in

the debate to a great honour to be in this house, and it is a

particular honour for me to have this opportunity because Her Majesty

is someone here we can all look up to, as an exemplar la of duty and

public service. I want to wish her a happy birthday and very many happy

returns. I hope and confidently expect that Her Majesty will reach

her 100th birthday, of course, more after that. It is a fact of course

that is widely acknowledged around the world that Her Majesty has shown

the most extraordinary and selfless devotion to duty and public service.

64 years, now, and this house, all these houses of parliament marked

Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee in 1977 I of course racing a rather special

fountain in new Palace Yard, in the shadow of Big Ben which is still

working today, and which gives great pleasure to many of us here and many

visitors. The house also recognised Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee in 2002

when it placed a sundial in the ground at old Palace Yard, outside

the house of lords. Of course, more recently, the house, both Houses of

Parliament I am pleased to say, across the political divide, across

the aisle as it work, across both houses recognised her diamond

jubilee in 2012 by placing a stained-glass window, a very special

stained-glass window in the north window of Westminster Hall. It is

hoped that it will be there for many hundreds of years to come. That

stained-glass window shows Her Majesty's coat of arms, and it is

almost directly opposite the World War II window, which was put in in

around 1950. The original Victorian window having been blown out by

enemy action during the war, but it means that the coat of arms of Her

Majesty's late father, the King, are directly opposite her coat of arms,

now, across Westminster Hall, that ancient edifice that is now nearly

1000 years old, and is a suitable honour for this house and this

country, and for Her Majesty and Her Majesty's late father who served

this country so well and continue to do so. We are only five and a half

years away from the Platinum jubilee so we need to keep in mind that, and

I have no doubt that both houses of parliament will mark that in an

equally special way. And without recourse to public funds, Imad ad,

as happened with the Diamond Jubilee, and matter entirely funded

by private donations by these houses. In the preparations for that

window, the scratchings were made of the design to be used, and there

were two beings and froing and precision work needed, and members

can no doubt imagine. The exact and design, the heraldry, the very last

drawing... The drawing was going to be signed off and sent to the

glaziers for manufacture in the ancient way, the way made...

Stained-glass has been made for 800 years, and just to be signed off,

seen by the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister, by

everyone who needed to see Ed, and it was noticed, not by me I hasten

to add, by an expert, that the chain on the unicorn was the wrong way

round, and this was something that was just noticed in time by one of

the experts in heraldry and consequently changed. Later when Her

Majesty came to Parliament and saw the window in situ, I mentioned to

Her Majesty that this has nearly happened, that the unicorn's chain

had nearly been placed the wrong way round on the stained-glass window,

and Her Majesty smiled broadly. I won't indicate the conversation that

we had, but if I say that later somebody else remarked that it was

always importance to ensure that a unicorn's chain is the right way

round, I dread to think what might have happened if acted and place the

wrong way round. It would have been no doubt a story to be told for a

long time to come that that had gone wrong. Particularly by the

Honourable gentleman! Even though it didn't go wrong guy still tell the

story! Can I just say one other point I would like to make before

closing. His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip has been

Her Majesty's consort for nearly 70 years now and has been a steady fast

support to Her Majesty. It is clear to everyone. By being such a stead

fast support to our sovereign and to the Queen and to his wife, he has of

course been a stead fast supports do this country, and I thank him for

that, I wish Her Majesty a very happy birthday and many happy

returns. But save the Queen. Thank you Mr Speaker, and thank you for

allowing me to speak briefly today in this really special debate. On

the half of my constituents in North Tyneside, I would like to

congratulate the Queen on reaching her 90th birthday and I remember the

last time the Queen and Prince Delaware in North Tyneside which was

in 2012 when the Queen officially open the Tyne Tunnel 45 years after

the first one. She was work and on that before day by many

schoolchildren, Air Cadets who played music for her and it was a

wonderful occasion. It took me back to the day back in 1967 when she

came to Tyneside to open the first Tyne Tunnel, a school day for me in

north shields, and we knew the Queen was coming, and we were all excited

because one boy in our class who happens to live near the Tyne Tunnel

was going to join the crowds. We were all in or we were stuck in

school and I think the boy was Michael Bell or David Bell, going to

see the Queen. I never dreamt on that day that in 2012 I would be, as

the NP, at the Tyne Tunnel to meet the Queen. I have to say I am, I

have been brought up in a household that was very royalist, my parents

were very proud of the Queen as were many of their generation who were

contemporaries of that part of the Royal family, and our family over

many years enjoyed watching all the Royal events on TV, the royal

wedding, the annual Trooping of the Colour, we always enjoyed getting

into the spirit of the occasion and felt very patriotic alongside so

many others, who have been so proud of everything our Queen has

achieved. I know that my late mother in particular where she alive to day

would be both thrilled and particularly humbles to know that I

am standing here on behalf of North Tyneside to wish our Queen not only

a very happy birthday but also a very many happy returns. Thank you

very much Mr Speaker. In the Windsor constituency, the history of the

monarchy runs deep and wide. From the border last got through the

great Park to the barracks and the charities, good causes and hospitals

and schools and way beyond. The magnificent Windsor Castle is both

at the heart of the local activities but also can be seen nationwide. In

many ways Her Majesty runs an open home and an open life full stop very

few people have not paid a visit all to Windsor Castle, and it would be

unusual not to see her and her family out in the constituency.

In He has been a consistent forge for social cohesion in her entire 90

year, she has been a beacon for civilised people, both at home, and

abroad. There are few features of our national life which are brought

such consist sentence is, stability and happiness and joy and

celebration over such a long period of history. As the head of state, he

role is more than symbolic, she is more than a figurehead.

She has been a warm and consistent presence in often harsh and a

changing world. So on behalf of mice, the country, my constituent,

the Commonwealth and the world I sent my heartfelt congratulations to

you on your 0th birthday, long may you reign and long may you rain rein

in the forces that seek to divide us. Thank you for this opportunity,

to do so on behalf of my friends, the member for Carmarthen. The good

wishes of my member for Brighton Pavilion who can't be here. Mr

Speaker, as has been said the Queen has a remarkable record of service

throughout which she has been Sloan a model devoice to her duty and

dignity in public life, I think this is particularly instructive in his

days when so many feel compulsion to reveal all. It's a caution in

respect of our activities here, as she has outlasted so many here today

and gone tomorrow Prime Ministers and leaders of the opposition for

that matter. Now, Professor Davis was once my parents' MP, a liberal

MP for a very short period between Lloyd George's moving to the other

place as the Earl and the post-war disillusion and the landslide that

swept him and them away. Many years later standing on my home square

with some gentlemen of a similar vintage, they were approached by a

younger man who said, you three standing there, you are looking

good. You are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four ages to

man, when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when king good. You

are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four ages to man,

when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when you are older and

king good. You are looking good. To which Davis replied there are four

ages to man, when you are young, when you are middle-aged, when you

are older and when "You're looking good. "The Queen is looking good,

and that is both a statement of fact and symbolic of the personal respect

and affection that she enjoys so widely. Mr Speaker, today is a

public celebration, but also more importantly, a joyous family

occasion, so I will close by saying... By wishing her a very

happy birthday and on her 9 #09 birthday, best wishes for the

future. -- 90th. Thank you for your

indulgence and I rise momentarily to wish Her Majesty The Queen many

happy pressures on behalf of his constituents? St Helens North, one

of whom Nora Collins celebrates her birthday day. I thought it was very

appropriate that I spoke to her this morning, because of course, Her

Majesty The Queen has done so much to further good relations between

Britain and Ireland and as chair of the all party group on the Irish in

Britain, I know the community here felt a very special pride at her

state visit to Ireland and the visit here by the President of Ireland. So

on behalf of the all-party group and the community here, I say... Happy

birthday to Her Majesty The Queen. Thank you very much Mr Speaker, and

of course as you know, it will be you that properly summarises this

debate because it is for you to choose the words that are

appropriate from this debate when you go to the Palace with the 12

others of us, so this isn't really a summing up, speech, more a

contribution of my own, and I am grateful for that opportunity, not

least because I think I am the only member of this House who has ever

sworn the oath of allegiance to Her Majesty and her successor as a

member of Parliament and a clerk in holy order, and so personally I

would like to thank enormously for the faithfulness she has shown to

the Church of England, and for that matter, the church of Scotland. She

manages to be am by dextrous in that as so many other things. It reminds

when Norman St John to see vas, he greeted the then Queen Mother at the

foot of the stairs of the Royal Opera House, and as they climbed the

stair, the crowd burst into spontaneous applause at which Her

Majesty was distinctly third heard to say, lucky thing, two Queens for

the price of one. I cannot pretend to know Her Majesty well or indeed

at all, really, but I did canvas once in a by-election the staff at

Balmoral, we didn't get very many supporters I have to say, in fact I

think we came fourth as well. However, my father played a very

important part in the Coronation in 1953. He was serving in the RAF at

the time, and was at saint Lytham, when 31 group based in north Wales,

decided to send 40 male and female RAF officers, to march in the

Coronation, they decided they somebody had to brush up their

marching skills and so my 19-year-old father was sent for, and

was flown up in a tiny aeroplane and spent a few days with the officers.

Apparently my father was so good at shouting at people, that he wasn't

needed for the Coronation itself. I make... I make this point simply to

underline how many people's lives she Her Majesty has touched. She has

visited the Rhondda many time, indeed a photo of her in 1989 was

used for the 24 pence stamp to celebrate her 40th anniversary in

19926789 when she came to the Rhondda in June 2002, I was asked to

walk with her, past the great number of people who lined the street, all

of whom were singing she'll be stopping here when she comes. I knew

my office manager Kevin Morgan was going to be there with his two young

son, Sam and Owen, so when I saw their little flags waving I gently

steered Her Majesty towards them, the two boys were still young and

shy, so m and Owen, so when I saw their little flags waving I gently

steered Her Majesty towards them, the two boys were still young and

shy, so as we approached, I said "Go on then, say hello." Unfortunately

Her Majesty thought I was referring to her, all right young man, she

barked back at me. So she is probably not going to be reading

this speech later. The truth is she has had to put up with a lot in her

time. She has had to suffer a stream point of view fission and she is

getting another is in a few day, 160 Prime Ministers in all her dominions

and Mr Speaker living with change is one of the most difficult things in

the world, especially when you are almost powerless yourself to affect

it. Yet, that is exactly what she has done, I belief, in admirable

style. Technology has changed haster than any other generation, social

attitudes have changed dramatically too, in 1952, it is strange to think

there were just 17 women in Parliament. 18 I suppose if you

include her. Today, there are 191 women MPs, and 201 women peers,

still not enough but better than it was. It seems incredible today but

in 19 a 5 parents of children with cerebral palsy found it impossible

to find anyone to educate their children. Which is why three parents

set up the s society which came Scope. We have made enormous

strides. The First Minister for disabled people. I think the Royal

Family have played a dramatic role in changing the attitudes by the way

they have each out. Likewise when the diagnostics and cities tits

manual of mental disorders was published it classified

homosexuality as a mental disorder e yet very few today would hold that

view, and you can even get married in Parliament, in the same sex

ceremony. So when you think what she has lived through, the Second World

War, the Cold War, the Falklands, the end of empire, the troubles and

the peace in Northern Ireland, it is difficult, I think, not to feel in

Shakespeare's world at the end of King Lear, the oldest Ms Borne most,

we that are young will never see to much or live so long. For all the

Pomp and world at the end of King Lear, the oldest Ms Borne most, we

that are young will never see to much or live so long. For all the

Pomp and Circumstance and the reason our @s, Republicans and monarchists

alike admire and respect her, is because of her fundamental decency,

her manifest commitment to do her duty and herable to keep her

council. At the end of Thomas Hardy's novel the peasant girl pays

tribute in simple terms to Giles. A good man who did good things, I

think we could all agree we should surely say the same of Her Majesty,

a good woman, who does good things. Thank you. It is my privilege and

honour to conclude this debate and commend the motion no House. The

Prime Minister singled out the importance of faith to Her Majesty.

Earlier your chaplain led us in extra special prayers to which I

will add one which used to be sung in Catholic Churches. Churches. IN

LATIN. So fittingly adorned may she be enable to avoid all foul tame

takes a with her Prince Consort may she be welcomed by you who are the

way, the truth and the light. We have heard from memory, from all

parts of the United Kingdom, and all languages said, Gallic, Welsh,

Irish, Latin, as well as the Queen's language. Paying individual tributes

to Her Majesty, citing individual story, stories of their

constituency, widely reflecting on her service to this nation and the

Commonwealth. As the Prime Minister pointed out, the influence of our

Queen started long before she was crowned. We have heard of her

special children's broadcast during the war, and her service in the ATS.

I understand as a young girl she reminded her father of the poem good

Knows known as the gate to the year. Part of which he recited in the 1939

Christmas broadcast, in which he said I said to the man who stood at

the gate of the year, give me a light that I may tread safely into

the unknown and he replied. Go out into the darkness and put your hand

into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer

than a known way. This world is uncertain, Mr Speaker, but Her

Majesty brings a constant, calming presence, full of good council, for

the, all the Prime Ministers an our Parliament and for the nation and

the Commonwealth. Especially shown by her leadership, as Head of the

Commonwealth and the many challenges that, that joy has brought to her

and her country, she has seen much change in her 90 year, I have

thought of her as being timeless, the steady hand, but keeping up with

the times. Technology is being used to commence her today. The hashtag

happy birthday your Majesty is trending. The Google icon is happy

90th birthday ma'am. As many people are excited and overjoyed to meet

the Queen. I recall a few years ago when she opened the New Broadcasting