The Queen: ‘Her Majesty is our North Star’, says Wakefield MP Simon Lightwood

Buckingham Palace announced yesterday, Thursday September 8, that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had passed away, surrounded by her family at Balmoral Castle.

Mr Lightwood said: “”Today we pay tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

"Her devotion and sacrifice to this nation over her 96 years has been a model to us all.

“The vast majority of us have not known a time without her steadfast leadership.

“It is with immense sorrow but a deep personal pride that I will have been one of the last Members of Parliament to swear allegiance to Her Majesty when taking my seat in June.

“The Queen visited Wakefield several times, for the first time as Princess Elizabeth in 1945 when she visited the facilities at Pinderfields Hospital.

"Her Majesty returned as Queen on her Silver Jubilee Tour in 1977 and again in 1992 to officially open the Wakefield Hospice.

“The Queen's efforts to extend the hand of the monarchy to all her subjects across the United Kingdom, led to the decision to take the traditional Maundy service out of London, choosing different parts of the country for each years’ service.

"In 2005, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Wakefield Cathedral to distribute the maundy money - with people from all over the city lining the streets, desperate to see her.

“I was fortunate to be there and fondly remember her shining through the crowds, wearing electric blue - but was her unforgettable smile and the characteristic sparkle in her eyes which I remember most.

“Her Majesty was so loved by so many across Wakefield and our nation for her warmth, her dedication, and her unshakeable sense of duty.

“Over her 70 years on the throne, she reigned over huge social, cultural, and political change across Britain and indeed the world, but through all this, she was a constant steadying presence.

"She met every moment, every crisis and every problem with reassuring words, always reflecting the mood of the nation. We saw this only recently throughout the Covid pandemic when her words ‘we will meet again’ gave hope to millions of people during lockdown.

“Her Majesty was, and will always be, our nation’s North Star.

“On behalf of the people of Wakefield, Horbury and Ossett, I thank Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her love and service to our nation, and our thoughts and prayers are with King Charles III and the Royal Family.”

Wakefield Cathedral remains open today until 8pm and is inviting everyone to reflect and remember the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

A special service of Evensong will be held inside the Cathedral at 6pm. All are welcome with no booking necessary.

Horbury Church has a book of condolence at St Peter’s, which will be open every day from 9am-5pm until the Queen’s funeral.

People are welcome to sign the book, leave flowers, light a candle and take a prayer card.

The Union Flag is being flown at half-mast on town buildings to show respect for the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

Send your messages of condolence to [email protected].