Hansard

On behalf of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, I add my support to the motion and offer our congratulations to Her Majesty on the occasion of her golden jubilee. In doing so, I am conscious that the Parliament has met twice in recent months to offer condolences to the Queen on the deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. However, in the face of personal sadness, the Queen has been steadfast in her commitment to duty and service, which have been a hallmark of her long reign.

As others have said, 50 years is a remarkably long time. The Queen came to the throne two and a half years before I was born. In 1952, Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and there were still features of post-war austerity, including rationing. Who could have foreseen the dramatic changes that would take place in the half century that lay ahead? In 1952, the Queen reigned over colonies in almost every continent. Today, we have a Commonwealth of independent nations whose individual respect for the Queen is a reflection of her personal interest in and commitment to the idea—indeed, the ideal—of a Commonwealth. In 1952, the very thought of the President of Malawi or South Africa coming to address a Scottish Parliament lay in the realms of political dreams and visions.

When the Queen addressed us at the opening of the Scottish Parliament on 1 July 1999, she referred to the

"pragmatic balance between continuity and change".

Surely her ability to achieve that pragmatic balance in political and constitutional relationships over half a century of dramatic change cannot be overestimated.

In that address, she also referred to the special qualities of Scotland, which occupy a special place in her and her family's affections. As the jubilee visit approaches, I recognise the special affinity between Scotland and the Queen. Her love for Balmoral and Deeside is renowned. It was at an early age, as Princess Elizabeth, that in 1944 she made her first official visit to Scotland. Later this month, she and the Duke of Edinburgh—whose own lifetime of service must surely also be recognised—will travel more than 1,000 miles around Scotland. That follows years and tens of thousands of miles of travelling around and visiting all parts of Scotland.

I well remember one of the earliest times that I saw the Queen, which was in 1975 when she visited my native town of Annan to open the police station. Twelve years later, as a member of Parliament, I had the privilege of meeting her in Kirkwall when she came to unveil a new stained glass window in St Magnus cathedral. On both visits, substantial crowds turned out to greet her—a feature common to all such visits. Another notable feature of such visits over the years has been the number of people who have met her and have commented on her pertinent remarks, her informed observations and the real interest that she showed. Let us be honest—as politicians we know how difficult that can be at times. The fact that she has engaged with people and communities for more than 50 years and has invariably left them feeling much better for her visit is testimony to the gracious manner in which she has fulfilled her role as our Queen.

We now look forward to her coming to address the Parliament in Aberdeen on 28 May and Scotland looks forward to her opening our new Parliament building at Holyrood—whenever that might be. As her jubilee visit to our nation and her address to our Parliament approach, we can say that her qualities of integrity, decency and, above all, duty and gracious service have won in the hearts of so many Scots our affectionate respect for Elizabeth, Queen of Scots.