I'm thrilled today that we are having this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the life of service given to the people of Great Britain and the Commonwealth by an amazing person, someone who has put duty and service and dedication above all other things. That person is Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

For 70 years, the Queen has served us with distinction, and I and my constituents in Brecon and Radnorshire will be forever grateful for Her Majesty's service and Her Majesty's visits to my constituency, like the visit to Elan Valley in 1952 or the visit to Dolau in 2002 for Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee, and, more recently, Her Majesty visited Glan Usk near Crickhowell in 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee. It was a horrendous day, I can remember it well, and she just got on with the job of meeting people and making everybody feel special, and I think the Duke of Edinburgh at the time took the best option and sat in the car and greeted people from the window. I, along with many of my constituents, am very grateful for the time they came to Brecon and Radnorshire.

Throughout Her Majesty's long reign, the Queen has connected with the Welsh people during both times of joy and suffering. This has been seen in the messages given during the opening of the Welsh Parliament, and, more recently, during the coronavirus pandemic. Every year, the royal family conducts over 2,000 royal engagements, both in the UK and overseas. The Queen has personally conducted over 325 visits overseas in 130 countries, and, furthermore, the Queen has met heads of state of all types of political persuasions, and 14 Prime Ministers. As the late Duke of Edinburgh said, the Queen must have patience in abundance. It does show that she is the greatest ambassador that our country has ever had. 

At the age of 18, she joined the auxiliary service and the Queen insisted that she joined, and the late King George VI ensured that she did not have any special treatment because of who she was; she just wanted to get on with the job of serving her country. Her Majesty's love of the outdoors has been a mark of her reign, and I did see this first-hand when Her Majesty and I spoke about farming at the opening of the Senedd, and I can confirm that she was very well informed about farming practices and she even taught me a thing or two that I didn't know.

Her role for our nation has been long and varied. After the sad passing of her long-term husband, His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen has continued to serve the people of Wales and the world, showing that there are no signs of slowing down. We saw that yesterday, when Her Majesty attended the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in a golf buggy nicknamed the 'Queenmobile'. So, she will live up to her statement that she will always need to be seen to be believed. Even at an age when many people would consider retiring and living a quiet life, the Queen continues to be at the forefront of our nation, serving as a royal emblem and acting as a uniting figure. I swore my oath to Her Majesty in joining this Parliament, and it gives me great pleasure to say: God save the Queen, and happy Platinum Jubilee, Your Majesty.