IT’S JUST eight days since the passing of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite seeing Her Majesty’s coffin travel from Balmoral to Edinburgh and on to London, it still feels hard to believe our longest reigning monarch is no longer with us.
I know that feeling is shared by many in Redditch as we saw on Sunday at the Proclamation of King Charles III at the bandstand.
Hundreds of residents attended, not just to witness the historic moment it was, but also to pay tribute to our late Sovereign.
Those tributes continued in Parliament on Monday when I had the honour and privilege of representing Redditch at the Presentation of Addresses by both Houses of Parliament to His Majesty The King in ancient Westminster Hall.
This was the first time King Charles III addressed both Houses of Parliament as our new Sovereign.
Ahead of The Queen’s state funeral on Monday, I’m sure we will all continue to reflect on her remarkable service and dedication to our country and to the Commonwealth.
During her 70-year reign The Queen will have met many hundreds of thousands of people, including many from Redditch.
Sadly I never got to meet The Queen, but I will never forget the afternoon I spent at Buckingham Palace at one of Her Majesty’s summer garden parties. I was able to catch a glimpse of her – a moment I will never forget.
