It's an honour to be able to contribute to this debate today and pay tribute to our longest serving monarch, Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty the Queen's life and reign can be summed up by one word: duty. At the age of 19, Her Majesty enlisted during world war two to serve in the women's Auxiliary Territorial Service, and this was just the beginning of a life of commitment to our country and its people. Her lifelong commitment to the country was optimised in her famous speech in Cape Town, South Africa, where she said:

'I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.

As our longest serving monarch in British history, she has remained a stable and calming influence over the country. She has reigned, as my leader said earlier, over 14 Prime Ministers in total in her time, which is an incredible achievement. She has modernised the monarchy and turned it into the much-loved institution that it is today, with a global reach that attracts many, many visitors to Britain each year.

Her Majesty the Queen is an icon for me and women around the world—the way she holds herself, her strength and her steadfast commitment to her role. Her sense of duty can be seen clearly through her dedication to her countless charities, being patron or president to over 600 charities in her time. It's not just her dedication to her country that we should all be in awe of; the Queen has remained a great champion of the Commonwealth, as has just been said, over the years, working to build relationships and keep its members together since 1952. When Her Majesty was crowned, the Commonwealth had eight member states; today, there are 54. The Queen has overseen a process in which practically the entire British empire has been transformed into a voluntary association of sovereign nations working together, hand in hand. Quite simply, the Queen has been steadfast as head of state and monarch. We will forever be in her debt. And I think I speak for the whole Chamber when I say: long may she reign; God save the Queen.