A life of service

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been lain to rest in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, alongside her husband Prince Philip.

It is truly the end of an era and, like everyone else, it was with profound sadness that I first learned of the Queen’s death on 8 September.

I wrote to His Majesty King Charles III on behalf of local government to pay tribute to the commitment, selfless devotion and generosity of spirit shown by Her Majesty during her reign as monarch over the past 70 years.

As the Head of State and the longest reigning monarch in our country’s history, Her Majesty played a central role in British life, bringing the country together and shaping our values as a nation.

The Queen was a champion of British values as a Royal Patron to more than 600 charities, many of them small ones supporting local areas.

Her life will be remembered for one of service, duty, and devotion to communities up and down the country, the Commonwealth and beyond.

I know that over the course of her reign she visited many of our local communities all over the UK. It has been touching to see so many memories and images shared of these trips over the past few weeks (see below for photos of some council visits).

In particular, it has been moving to understand the impact these visits still have on those who were there, in some cases many years after they took place.

Councils have been proud to serve Her Majesty throughout her reign and have long played an important historic civic role at the heart of their local areas, often helping to facilitate royal events in their communities.

Many councils had their own unique relationship with the Queen and the Royal Family, and no doubt will continue to do so under King Charles III.

Moments like these bind our communities together. This has been clearly demonstrated in the way that local authorities rapidly put together plans to support people in their local communities to mourn.
Councils have done what they do best, bringing people together in different ways to mark this sombre milestone.

For example, councils from all over the UK organised proclamation ceremonies to announce the accession of King Charles III shortly after the death of his beloved mother.

This is a tradition that spans more than 300 years and was originally intended to inform local areas of the news of a new monarch.

Despite modern communications meaning news like this can now be broadcast around the world in an instant, these events gave communities an opportunity to come together and reflect on an important moment in our nation’s history.

In addition to this, councils provided local books of condolence online and in public buildings, ensured flags were flown at half-mast, and provided spaces where people could leave floral tributes.

Councils also organised ‘big screen’ broadcasts for members of the public of the Queen’s funeral, meaning that those who were not able to join the crowds in London were able to share in their grief together with their friends and neighbours.

The death of Her Majesty has had a great effect on everyone in our local government family and the communities we represent.

As King Charles III begins his reign, councils will continue to serve our nation, bringing our local communities together to promote the rich and vibrant values of our nation.