May I join other Members, too, in firstly saying how warming it is to see Members from across the political spectrum coming together today to mark our respects and pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II? This unity of spirit reminds me of back when I was a teenager, and I will make some personal reflections as well. When I was a teenager, the Queen visited my school in Colwyn Bay, and it turns out that this was referenced by Darren Millar a moment ago, as she visited my school in Colwyn Bay at Eirias Park. What struck me from this visit was not the deputy mayor of Towyn and Kinmel Bay doing the Mexican wave. What struck me from this visit, apart from how clean the place suddenly became, was the breadth of people who came to see her—all people from different ages, different backgrounds, different races, different creeds. Even in my younger age, as a teenager, I clocked that she was a uniting figure—somebody who brought people together. 

This was again exemplified during the COVID lockdowns. If we remember, Her Majesty gave an incredibly moving speech that, for me personally, gave me great strength through a very difficult time for my family. And I will quote the lines that really struck a chord with me. Her Majesty said:

'Together we are tackling this disease, and I want to reassure you that if we remain united and resolute, then we will overcome it...We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.'

Those words were so important for so many at that time, and united us together again. Her power and ability to unite was a clear demonstration of the level at which she conducted herself, changing with the times as she needed to, earning the respect and admiration of so many.

The other area that I would like to pay tribute to today is the example of service and duty that so many here have already mentioned. She set a great example for us all. She carried out her role with dignity and respect, serving her country and her people right until the very end, as we saw last week. This, of course, stems from her time—and people have already quoted this—as a 21-year-old, when she declared:

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

Perhaps the biggest difference between the Queen and the vast majority of us is that she kept her promise. She kept her promise before she was Queen and through her 70 years of reigning. Her Majesty worked with 15 Prime Ministers, and I'm sure that some were more difficult to work with than others. She conducted tens of thousands of royal engagements, she was patron and president of over 600 charities, and of course was our longest reigning monarch of all time. Her Majesty set the best possible example to every single one of us. That's why, when I took my oath of allegiance to be sworn in as a Member of this Welsh Parliament, it was the utmost pleasure to swear my allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty devoted her life to this country—a rock for so many for so long. Thank you, Ma'am, for your unwavering service, and God save the King.