On Saturday 10 September, Iain Stewart MP spoke in the House of Commons Chamber to pay tribute to Her Late Majesty The Queen.
"In an interview yesterday, the Mayor of Milton Keynes was asked what Her Late Majesty meant to the people of Milton Keynes, and she simply replied she was 'everything'.
"That is partly due to the fact that Milton Keynes as we know it today was founded, built and flourished as a new city during her reign. From a collection of north Buckinghamshire towns and villages, to the thriving city we know today, Milton Keynes developed under Her Late Majesty.
"And she visited many times, both to celebrate our history, whether that was to go to the railway works at Wolverton, which has been home to the royal train for many years, or Bletchley Park in my constituency, which she visited around 10 years ago to unveil a memorial to the codebreakers there.
"Members who have had a royal visit will know that these are often planned to the last minute, if not the second, but such was her interest and that of the late Duke of Edinburgh that the timetable went completely out the window, because she was so engrossed in celebrating the achievements of the codebreakers.
"As well as our history, the Queen was there to celebrate our development. Whether it was the opening of the Open University, our new City Centre or the football stadium, every part of Milton Keynes' development she has been there for.
"But the greatest honour came just a few months ago, at the Platinum Jubilee, when she had the grace to bestow city status upon us. At the heart of our bid was the fact that Milton Keynes was made up of many different communities, from the vast majority, if not all, of the countries of the Commonwealth. That, of course, is something that she enormously cherished."
The MP then concluded his speech with some lines from John Betjeman, one of the Queen’s poet laureates.
“I made hay while the sun shone.
"My work sold.
"Now, if the harvest is over
"And the world cold,
"Give me the bonus of laughter
"As I lose hold."
Iain Stewart MP concluded, "I very much hope that Her late Majesty did keep her well-known sense of humour to the end, and that once the period of grief and mourning at her loss has passed, we may all, as individuals and as a nation, smile and remember with joy what she meant to us and did for us. Thank you, Ma’am.
"God save the King."
