Remembering Queen Elizabeth II

Next Monday, at 10pm our time, the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will begin at Westminster Abbey. This will mark the final chapter in a 70-year reign – the longest in the history of Britain and the Commonwealth. Much of the world has expressed sadness and shock since learning of her death last week, despite knowledge that her time with us was inevitably drawing to a close.

I am privileged to have met Her Majesty on several occasions. My lasting impression was of a wonderful leader who had an extraordinary ability to put people at ease. Despite the pomp and ceremony that always surrounded her, people she met were made to feel important. She achieved this by taking a genuine interest. As Senior Whip, I showed her around Parliament during her 1995 visit to New Zealand. We chatted easily, but what really impressed me was her knowledge of our country and the region that I represented as an MP. She asked about the people of Northland, and what they were like. This was not someone ticking off prepared talking points – she genuinely wanted to know about our lives. The tour lasted 40 minutes but time seemed unimportant, despite the minute-by-minute schedule that she operates under. She was without doubt a wonderful lady and one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

I have met several members of the Royal Family and have had the opportunity to speak with them at some length during official functions. A little more than a year ago, I reminisced in this column about meeting the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who had recently passed. Like the Queen and Prince Charles, the Duke was very easy to talk to and had a great knack of putting you at your ease. I have also met Charles on three occasions. The most recent was during a visit to Northland with his wife, Camila. Of course, Charles is now King Charles III and Camila is Queen Consort. All eyes will be on the couple as King Charles takes the monarchy into a new era.

The British Monarchy is already the most scrutinised family in history and this examination will become forensic over coming days and weeks. There will of course be changes. Charles has his own opinions and will be thinking about the future course of the monarchy. With all that attention and with so many significant questions to be answered, it is perhaps easy for us all to lose sight of the fact that this is a family that has lost a much-loved mother and grandmother. Whatever your opinions about the monarchy, we need remember that. I was pleased to see that on display earlier this week when our Members of Parliament marked the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. While not everyone agrees with the institution or its legacy, MPs all acknowledged her role and her whanau’s loss. It’s a loss many around the world are feeling. She was a remarkable lady and truly was the nicest person you could ever meet.