Portfolio of Legal Affairs

Published 14th September 2022, 11:0am

Mr. Speaker, It is with a deep sense of sadness that I pay this tribute to Her late Majesty Queen Elisabeth II.

Mr. Speaker, as realists we all know the inevitability of death, but for some of us, myself included, we somehow wish for a different outcome in this case.

Her Majesty was the quintessential Monarch, embodying a life of quiet dignity, civility, grace, and commitment to public service. For many, she personified stability and continuity.

She was, Mr. Speaker, an exemplary leader of the commonwealth, who through the years has evolved into one of the world's most consequential leaders. She was the kind of leader that epitomizes great strength and character, especially in times of great adversity!

Mr. Speaker, the enormity of her reign is best contextualized when it is considered that, as reported, more than 80% of the UK's current population live their lives with Her Majesty as the Queen. No doubt, Mr. Speaker, this puts in focus, the remarkableness of the institutional nature of her reign.

Her passing will directly impact how we conduct certain matters in Cayman.

There will be changes, to some of our Oaths by public officers, our envelopes/stationaries, the prayers we say in this Parliament, the titles of some office holders, etc. Things that we have all grown accustomed to and took for granted over the decades!

So we need not look far to understand the longevity of her reign: Mr. Speaker, Her late Majesty always had that ability to connect and understand people's circumstances! She at all times goes about her role with a sense of purpose and quiet dignity. It should come as no surprise then that Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth, was so well loved and admired world-wide! Evidence of this is clear in the overwhelming global outpouring of grief and sorrow for her passing.

Mr. Speaker, I had the good fortune, indeed the great privilege, of meeting and speaking with Her late Majesty during the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta on 23rd February 2015, at a reception hosted by Her at Buckingham Palace. I was struck by her warmth and sincerity, and the earnestness with which she asked me about the welfare of the Cayman Islands and its people!

No one will deny that Her late Majesty was a model public servant, greatly admired for, inter alia, her deep and abiding faith, her quiet dignity, and dignified composure, even amid the most unsettling of events! She was always stoic, and was a calming voice!

May her soul rest in peace and her memory live on in our hearts!

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