7. Welsh Conservatives Debate: 70th Anniversary of the accession

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:06 pm on 2 February 2022.

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Photo of Sam Rowlands Sam Rowlands Conservative 5:06, 2 February 2022

May I say 'thank you' to my colleague Darren Millar for submitting this royally important debate this afternoon? As all Members know, Her Majesty the Queen reaches the seventieth anniversary of her accession to the throne on 6 February, and as our Welsh Conservative motion states, I'd like to certainly be associated in extending our warmest congratulations to Her Majesty the Queen on what is an incredible achievement.

Firstly, Llywydd, I'd like to just hark back to a few memories of when the Queen was in my community back in 2002, when I was a lot younger, and I recall Her Majesty the Queen visiting Colwyn Bay and actually coming along to visit the school that I was attending at the time. I remember rightly having this strange moment when, actually, she was at the running track at the school and I half expected her to run around and do the 400m, but she was actually driven around the running track that day. But what struck me, and what I observed, even as a teenager, was the way that Her Majesty's presence united people from all areas, all backgrounds, all ages, levels of education, attainment, all creeds, races and ages—a uniting figure, a demonstration of the exceptionally high level at which Her Majesty conducted and continues to conduct herself.

Secondly, and in relation to this, we must pay credit, as has already been outlined by Members here today, to the example of service and duty that Her Majesty has set out for us, as an amazing example for all people, throughout her 70 years on the throne. The fact that Her Majesty continues to, day in and day out, carry out her role with respect and dignity is an example that we can all look to. And this example has been outlined through all of her fantastic work—[Interruption.] Sorry, you want me to take an intervention. Certainly.