London, (Parliament Politics Magazine)- James Sunderland was elected as the Conservative MP for Bracknell in 2019 after military service. He serves as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for Veterans, the Armed Forces Covenant and Motorsport, and chaired the recent Armed Forces Bill Select Committee. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS).
‘Ours is not to reason why but the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second is that moment we knew and feared would happen. As the bedrock in our lives for so long, the loss of this most beloved global icon is deep, palpable and impossible to put into words.
When she went up a Princess and came down a Queen at Treetops in 1952, Her Majesty was aware of the service that lay ahead, not only as Head of State and the Commonwealth but as Head of the Armed Forces too. Having already become Colonel in Chief of the Grenadier Guards at the age of 16, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force would soon bear her standard too and it’s impossible not to mention the Household Division, Guards Division, Royal Engineers and so many of the other Army units for whom she was also one of their own. And I cannot think of a single person for whom the mantra ‘serve to lead’ could have been more perfectly applied. Her sailors, soldiers and aviators truly loved her and rightly so.
Having led soldiers on operations, I know from my own experience that servicemen and women do not proudly serve their country or even pay the ultimate sacrifice just because the prevailing Government asks it of them. Nor is it to follow orders, out of camaraderie or even from a sense of glory, but because of their oath of allegiance and loyal service to the Crown. And the glue that binds military service at sea, on land and air is the democracy, freedom and sovereignty of our great nation and the Monarch who steadfastly watches over it.
In my own constituency of Bracknell, the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst proudly occupies its leafy corner of Berkshire. Three times a year, the Queen, or her representative, would preside over the Sovereigns Parade, where officer cadets commission into the Army. I can remember my own commissioning in 1993 as if it was yesterday and the Queen was always a regular feature, leading from the front and smiling in the achievements of others.
And who could forget that fine day in December 2006 when she attended Prince William’s Commissioning Parade alongside her beloved Prince Philip, King Charles, the Queen Consort and of course Cadet Prince Harry Wales? Indeed, the iconic oil painting from that special moment still hangs imposingly above the famous steps at Old College.
Beyond Sandhurst, Her Majesty had a broader association with the people of Bracknell. Most recently, she opened the Lexicon Shopping Centre in 2018, visited Wellington College in 2009, the Transport Research Laboratory in 1995, the Victuallers School in 1994, the Lookout Centre in 1991 and the Royal Meteorological Society in 1978. In fact, she formally visited the constituency from neighbouring Windsor on at least 20 other occasions during her life. On one memorable occasion when unveiling a new oak tree at Windsor Great Park, she even joked with her team that they had planted it in the wrong place. Her wonderful sense of humility, humour and mischief was never far away and her like we will never see again.
It is clear too from the deep grief shared by so many that she loved her country, her family, the Commonwealth, her people and all those who had personal contact with her. She was also loved by them. And the people of Bracknell will always be proud to have known her.
Lastly, I visited the Lexicon in Bracknell last week to sign the Book of Condolence, near to the very spot where she had opened it 4 years earlier. I spoke to constituents who were saddened by her passing. And some I met were also visibly overcome by grief and loss, uncertain for their own future. But it’s ok to not feel ok at this profound time. It’s ok to mourn her passing as well as celebrate her life. It’s ok to feel a deep sense of foreboding and it’s ok to feel wretched as the Queen was very special, one of a kind and universally loved.
So, to finish my short tribute if I may, I would just like to offer one simple sentiment – above all else – on behalf of the good people of Bracknell, Crowthorne, Finchampstead, Sandhurst, Wokingham Without and beyond. Your Majesty, thank you for your lifetime of selfless service and for setting an example that we can all continue to aspire to. Long Live the King!’