As the elected Member for Aberconwy, this is, indeed, an honour and a privilege to take this opportunity to congratulate Her Majesty on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, and also to say thank you for the invaluable service that she continues to provide here in Wales.

We've had the honour of her presence in north Wales on numerous occasions. In fact, my home town of Llandudno welcomed her in 1963, 1977 and 2010. Such is the respect for Her Majesty and the royal family that our town has a park called Mountbatten Green and a care home called Queen Elizabeth Court. In fact, I know that we will be seeing celebrations across Llandudno and the rest of the constituency, because the local authority has already received eight road closure applications for Jubilee street parties. Of course, there will be many more planning tea parties in their gardens and watching the celebrations from the comfort of their sofa. But I would just ask as many as possible to take a moment to participate in the Big Jubilee Lunch. On Sunday, we will be encouraged to celebrate local connections and get to know our neighbours just that little bit better. Whether it's sharing a cup of tea on the doorstep or a bigger bash in the street, we can all do our part to help combat loneliness and isolation. None of us can ever forget that Her Majesty sat alone as she bid farewell to the late Duke of Edinburgh. 'Alone in her grief' wrote the Sunday People. 'Sitting alone, the Queen bids her final farewell', led The Sunday Telegraph, and 'The loneliest goodbye' reported the Sunday Mirror. Fifty-seven per cent of older people report feeling lonely sometimes. So, let's follow Her Majesty's example and think what we can do to support others far less fortunate than us.

On her twenty-first birthday, in a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town, Her Majesty dedicated her life to the service of the Commonwealth. She said,

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

And she remains true to that promise. For example, for the benefit of our nation, Her Majesty is royal patron or president of 600 charities. For the benefit of our nation and international relations, Her Majesty has hosted 152 official state visits, including 13 Presidents of the United States of America and five Popes. And for the benefit of people globally, Her Majesty served as the head of the Commonwealth. We are fortunate to have a monarch who has pioneered innovation. The coronation was the first to be fully televised, despite being objected to by many officials. Her Majesty was the first monarch to produce a live televised Christmas message and the first British monarch to tweet. In fact, I think it's admirable that Her Majesty has made a concerted effort to remain modern and in touch with the challenges of our time. This is no surprise, given that she has already seen 14 Prime Ministers and four First Ministers of Wales. Even most recently, in response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, the palace has advised that they are assisting in a number of ways.

We would certainly all be expecting somebody or anybody of 96 years of age to relax. However, this Platinum Jubilee, as Andrew Marr put it, 'marks 70 years of being the uncomplaining servant of her subjects.' So, I hope you will all join with me in expressing a hope that long may Her Majesty continue to serve our nation, our world, and to fill our hearts. Congratulations and God bless, Your Majesty.