There is no denying that Her Majesty the Queen is a remarkable woman who has served this country and the Commonwealth with great loyalty and dedication. It is a great privilege to be standing here today in this Chamber, amongst you all, paying tribute to Her Majesty as the country comes together to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee.

Her Majesty the Queen has broken countless records since her accession to the throne 70 years ago and is now the third-longest reigning monarch in the world. During her 70-year reign, the Queen and the rest of the royal family have made countless visits to Wales, as we've heard already, strengthening their very strong connections to our country. Only last year, Her Majesty was in this very Chamber amongst us all for the Parliament's official opening, with crowds lining the streets outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of our great monarch. And can I just say, I was hugely honoured to meet Her Majesty when she came here, as I know many of my Welsh Conservative colleagues were as well?

Over the years, the Queen has opened her doors, not just to those of us from the UK but from across the Commonwealth, to groups, individuals and organisations to attend her annual garden party, and she's honoured countless people for their contributions within their professional fields and for their charity work as well. The Queen has personally carried out more than 325 overseas visits in 130 countries, met more than 100 heads of state, and become the first monarch in 100 hundred years to visit the Republic of Ireland. Quite simply, she has been an inspiration, a role model and a huge stalwart to millions of people here in Wales, the rest of the United Kingdom, and across the globe.

She hasn't put a foot wrong throughout her reign, and has been a constant figurehead for the UK during times of enormous change. I've said it here before in the Chamber, but one of the greatest achievements of the Queen's reign has been the transformation of the empire to the Commonwealth. Made up of 53 independent countries, with a combined population of 2.4 billion, we have all shared goals to promote democracy, development and, ultimately, peace. Despite some countries being expelled or leaving over the years, today the Commonwealth stands united as a force for promoting racial equality, democracy and human rights.

One of the things that I love the most about Her Majesty is her passion for animals and some of the fantastic work she has done for them. It is estimated that the Queen has owned over 30 corgis, in particular—and I'm sure many of my colleagues will be happy to hear—the Pembroke Welsh corgis, alongside countless horses and some more exotic animals, such as sloths and a colony of bats. Her Majesty is a patron of more than 30 animal charities, including the RSPCA, the Labrador Retriever Club and the Royal Pigeon Racing Association. It is clear that she's an animal lover through and through.

Times have been particularly hard for Her Majesty and her family with the recent tragic loss of her beloved husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. As we all come together to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, whether it be at an event in your community or just marking the occasion with friends and family, we should take a moment to reflect on the Queen's long reign and all the good that she has done across the globe. Next week, I hope that everyone inside of this Chamber and outside of this Welsh Parliament will raise a glass to Her Majesty and in honour of Prince Philip, who was by the Queen's side for many years and is sadly no longer amongst us. There is no doubt that Her Majesty remains at the very heart of our nation, and may she continue to reign over us for many, many years to come. Thank you.