The 70th anniversary of Her Majesty’s ascension to the throne is a quite extraordinary milestone – one that no British monarch has previously achieved. I am very proud to have met The Queen on a few occasions and I had the enormous honour of spending a little private time with her when I served as Leader of the House of Commons. Her warmth, sense of humour and interest in those around her put me at ease straight away. She is very knowledgeable and engaging. A remarkable person.
The Queen’s service to our country and to the Commonwealth has been extraordinary, often providing stability and leadership when we have much needed it and she has vast knowledge of world affairs having held weekly audiences with all our Prime Ministers since and including Churchill and every US President since President Truman with the sole exception of Lyndon Johnson.
As a proud monarchist who believes that the benefits of the Royal Family far outweigh the criticism (sometimes justified, sometimes wholly unjustified), Her Majesty has done much to preserve our history and traditions while modernising the institution. The ease with which Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge speak about issues that matter to them, such as climate change and mental health, is in no small part down to the example the Queen has set over many years as a great supporter of thousands of charities at home and abroad.
I sincerely hope that Her Majesty stays in good health and enjoys the spectacle of the numerous national celebrations that will be taking place in Central Devon and across the country in June to mark this special jubilee.