Platinum Jubilee celebrations: Harborough MP’s tribute to the Queen

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien has paid a powerful tribute to the Queen as she celebrates a record-breaking 70 years on the throne.

Neil said many millions around the world as in the United Kingdom admire and revere the woman who has been our country’s head of state for an extraordinary seven decades.

And the Conservative MP told the Harborough Mail that we will never see her like again.

“A lot has changed since 1952, but one thing remains the same – our Head of State.

“On the 6th February 1952, Queen Elizabeth II became the Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, and has now become our longest-reigning monarch.

“As the country celebrates the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we should stop and reflect that this is probably something this country will never see again,” said Neil.

“The consistently high approval the Queen has enjoyed from people in Britain shows the affection, respect and admiration that millions have for her and her service to our country.

“This was visible over the Covid pandemic, when millions tuned in to hear the message from the Queen at a time of great hardship and difficulty for the nation.

“Her poignant ‘we will meet again’ message resonated and struck a chord with the nation, and highlighted the role and relevance of the Monarchy and the Queen as our Head of State.

“The facts of her long reign are amazing,” insisted the MP.

“She has been on 21,000 official engagements, visited over 100 countries and hosted garden parties in Buckingham Palace attended by around 1.5 million people.

“That’s an awful lot of scones.

“The span of the Queen’s reign is amazing,” said Neil.

“She used ration coupons to buy her wedding dress and drove a truck in the war.

“She is still our Queen in an era of artificial intelligence, where our children expect to be able to speak to a computer and have it find any bit of information in the world.

“The Queen’s first broadcast was on Children’s Hour, aimed at children evacuated in the war.

“Today sadly, more families and children are arriving here in Harborough, fleeing from another war, (in Ukraine) and a different dictator.

“Such a span of experience and continuity, and such a source of unity, is particularly valuable in difficult times.

“It’s great to hear so many festivities will be taking place across the constituency this week as well by people who want to come together to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee and send their best wishes to the Queen.

“Many constituents will of course be aware of the Queen’s local connection to Harborough District as she, Prince Philip and their children visited our part of the county in the 1950s, visiting All Saints Church in Lubenham.

“From street parties, to get togethers in village halls – there is something for everyone to get involved in, so please do take this opportunity to get together with friends and neighbours to mark and celebrate this historic moment,” concluded Neil.

“One which I think it is unlikely this country will ever see again.”