Mid & East Antrim councillors reflect on “lifetime of service” by Her Majesty the Queen

Mid and East Antrim councillors reflected on a “lifetime of service” by Her Majesty the Queen during a special meeting of the borough council on Monday evening.

Chairing the meeting, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Noel Williams, said:

“As Mayor, I was deeply saddened by the announcement from Buckingham Palace, on Thursday 8 September, of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II .

“On behalf of council and citizens of Mid and East Antrim, I wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen Consort and the entire Royal Family.

“I have sent a message extending condolences to His Majesty King Charles III on behalf of the council and citizens of Mid and East Antrim assuring him and the Royal Family of our thoughts and prayers at this most difficult time.

“This is a deep personal loss particularly for His Majesty, Princess Anne and Princes Andrew and Edward.

“We your subjects have lost a much-loved and admired Monarch who dedicated her lifetime of service to her people. We also remember the new Prince of Wales who also holds the title Baron of Carrickfergus who has lost his beloved granny.”

The mayor reflected on a “lifetime of service Her Majesty has given us”.

He spoke of the “unparalleled partnership” of the Queen and Prince Philip whom she described as “her strength and her stay” and went on to celebrate a 73-year marriage.

“Here in Mid and East Antrim, we have enjoyed visits from the Monarch to Ballymena in 1953 and to Carrickfergus in 1961 and we are indebted to her for her commitment to the cause of peace in Northern Ireland.

“Indeed her own family was not untouched during the years of turbulence with the murder of Lord Mountbatten in 1979. Yet the Queen went on to play a significant part in the reconciliation across our land through many memorable gestures and actions to further the cause of peace.

“Throughout her 70 years and 214 days on the Throne, she has been a stalwart and constant in our lives and has shared with us in good times and in bad times and has been such an inspiration to us all.

“Who will forget her address to the nation during the first Covid lockdown. She reassured us all that better days will return. Nor will we forget the sad scenes of our solitary Monarch as she laid to rest her beloved husband of 73 years HRH Prince Philip.

“For more than 70 years, this woman of deep faith served the peoples of this great nation so selflessly right to the very end of her life fulfilling royal duties until just two days before her death. What an example.

“We share in the great public loss which is now felt across the United Kingdom and beyond as we mourn the loss of Queen Elizabeth, it is so heartfelt among the peoples of Mid and East Antrim.

“We are so thankful for her long life so well lived in the service of her people. Thank-you Ma’am.”

DUP group leader Ald Audrey Wales MBE recalled that just  two days before her death, Her Majesty invited Liz Truss to be her 15th Prime Minister.

“Who would have imagined then that was the last time we would ever see that famous smile that lit up every room. Queen Elizabeth always personified such dignity in public life giving inspired leadership to the nation and its people.

“She was a true role model for all females as she carried out her duties.”

Ald Wales noted that the Queen visited Northern Ireland on 25 occasions both as Monarch and as Princess. The first was when she was a 19-year-old as part of the Victory tour of the UK after WWII.

“In 1953 as part of the UK tour following her coronation, Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Philip visited Ballymena stopping at the station where 10,000 people turned out to greet her. In 1961, she arrived in Carrickfergus on board the Royal Yacht Britannia.”

She urged everyone to take part in the National Moment of Reflection requested by the UK Government in memory of Her Majesty on Sunday, September 18, at 8pm.

Ulster Unionist group leader Councillor Keith Turner paid tribute to Her Majesty saying:

“Her impeccable service to her peoples has been the reason that Great Britain and Northern Ireland are so revered throughout the world. It is truly remarkable that the actions of one person could have such a profound effect on the lives of so many others.

“On a personal note, I was proud and privileged to have served in Her Majesty’s personal company within the First of Grenadier Regiments and Foot Guards and I witnessed first-hand how awe-inspiring it was to be in the presence of such a wonderful lady whose smile and sense of humour lit up the most sombre of occasions.

“The nation and countries of the Commonwealth should rightly take this time to mourn and reflect on 70 years of glorious service and be thankful to have lived through the second great Elizabethan age.”

Alliance group leader Ald Gerardine Mulvenna said:

“We have had many fitting tributes to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth this evening. I want to add my endorsement to each and every one.

“In the first instance, my thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Royal Family at this very sad time. Her Majesty was not only an incredible Monarch, she was an incredible and remarkable woman.

“The entire nation continues to grieve what is a monumental loss but those feeling her loss greatest are her loved ones and my thoughts are very much with them.

“She underpinned our democratic society for over 70 years. Underpinning it but never intervening in it. She avoided controversy. She performed her role to the utmost but by respecting the boundaries.

“Queen Elizabeth has set us all an example which we can all learn from in the future. It is incumbent on all politicians to consider what we can do to follow her example  of forgiveness and reconciliation.

“I am deeply touched by the number of residents who have travelled to sign our book of condolence in recent days in Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena. I feel it would be extremely fitting that once the period of national mourning comes to an end and this book is closed that we mark the occasional formally.”

Ald Mulvenna suggested that this is done by a formal closure of the book by the mayor at all three venues and this is accompanied by the sounding of a bugle.

Ballymena TUV Cllr Matthew Armstrong said:

“As we watch on from all four corners of our United Kingdom, we remember the Royal Family and the wider family circle as they come to terms with such immense loss while very much being in the public eye.

“On behalf of TUV, I wish to pay tribute to Her late Majesty, a lady who meant so much to many in a variety of ways as a Monarch, a stateswoman, a leader and a shining example of wisdom and empathy, her maternal instincts and steadying hand in times of trouble or strife.

“In our modern society where so many of our institutions fall into disrepair or even disrepute, Queen Elizabeth was, is and shall remain a beacon of integrity, decorum and dignity.”

Commenting on the accession of Prince Charles III, he said that he comes to the Throne with a “wealth of knowledge and experience”.

Sinn Fein group leader Cllr James McKeown said:

“It is obvious from the comments from members that the death of Queen Elizabeth II has caused pain, sorrow and grief within parts of our communities . On behalf of myself and Cllr Ian Friary, I would like to offer our sincere condolences.”

Ballymena SDLP Cllr Eugene Reid passed on his condolences on behalf of his party to all the family all across this region and “these islands who held her in high esteem and reverence”.

“The Queen dedicated her life to public service. She was loved and admired by people around the world. She showed immense leadership throughout the life, from her service throughout the WWII right up to the Covid pandemic.”

Cllr Reid proceeded to talk about the important role she played in improving British-Irish relations during her historic visit to Ireland in 2011 in what he described as a “watershed moment”.

“During that visit, she made a number of significant gestures including introducing her speech with an Irish phrase.”

Commenting further, he added: “Whilst we may not share the same aspirations or background, we are able to recognise the huge contribution the Queen made to life across these islands and her lasting legacy.”

Tributes were followed by the Proclamation of the Accession of His Majesty King Charles III.