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Heartfelt tributes were paid to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at a special meeting of Kirklees Council.
Councillors stood, heads bowed, as a mark of respect and then offered tributes to Her Majesty’s remarkable 70-year reign.
Council leader Clr Shabir Pandor spoke of the profound sense of loss felt by people across Kirklees and across the world and said: “The Queen had an impact on our public consciousness unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.
“Her legacy will live on forever in the story of our nation and the story in our hearts.”
Mayor of Kirklees Clr Masood Ahmed said a letter of condolence had been sent to King Charles III on behalf of the people of Kirklees.
In his speech Clr Ahmed said: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of our greatest monarchs. She reigned for over 70 years and her ongoing sense of duty and love for our nation never wavered.
“She was admired and respected throughout the world. Everywhere Her Majesty went you could see the heartfelt admiration from people who were in her presence.
“This is truly the end of an era and a huge milestone in our history. Just like her longevity I’m sure her memory and legacy will live on forever.
“As one era comes to an end it is also the start of a new one as we welcome our new King. We have already seen the strength, compassion and dignity of King Charles III and would like to send our condolences on behalf of the borough but also our best wishes as His Majesty starts his new reign.”
Deputy Mayor of Kirklees Clr Cahal Burke said: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been one of the most constant people in our lives.
“Her duty as sovereign never wavered across our islands and around the world even in times of personal sadness and illness as she became a global figure of respect and grace.
“In Northern Ireland she played such a significant role in bringing together those whom history had separated. She will be remembered as one of the greatest monarchs who demonstrated her love and devotion to the whole country throughout her reign.
“Those with the honour of meeting her or catching a glimpse of her, as I did in 2007 when I took a group of students to St George’s Square here in Huddersfield, will have a precious memory they can pass on to future generations.
“I would like to send our best wishes to our new King as he begins his reign. It’s hard to imagine what he has been through over these last few days and those still to come but he has shown great strength and dignity.”
Her Majesty the Queen visited Huddersfield in 1971, 1990 and 2007 and council leader Clr Pandor said: “When you look back at the footage of Her Majesty’s visit to Kirklees there are a few things that come out very strongly.
“Firstly, it’s the crowds that came to see her. People from all over Kirklees travelled to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty, maybe even for just a second or two.
“People came out in their hundreds and thousands. This showed genuine enthusiasm, love and respect and it was obvious in the historic footage and it’s obvious now in the reaction of so many people and we see in the queues that are miles and miles long in London.
“The Queen had an impact on our public consciousness unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes.
“I have been reflecting on Her Majesty’s inspiration and how such feelings in such a diverse population are going so deep into our communities.
“People regardless of their background respect those core values of duty, service, dignity and commitment. The Queen did not just talk about those values, she lived and breathed them on a daily basis. That’s why we, the people, believed in them and in her.
“She embodied the idea that at its heart the country’s values and ideals go beyond party politics and this has remained so for decades.
“She personified the idea that we are all in service for something much greater. That is there for all our communities to celebrate and our country and for those issues that sometimes divide us we can see the Queen brought people together in ways we cannot imagine.
“These are the lessons we can all learn from Her Majesty’s long reign. All councillors and servants of our communities, we can learn those lessons ourselves.
“We too can try to live up to those standards of duty, service, dignity and commitment in the way we work.
“As we see the responsibility pass to King Charles III we see more of our country’s values come to the fore and continuity and stability is a priority.
“In a changing and unpredictable world those unifying national standards are more important than ever but now is not the time to look too far into the future. It is a time to celebrate the lifetime of service to our country and the Commonwealth by Her Majesty the Queen.
“I want to finish by saying on behalf of the people of Kirklees: ‘Thank you to Your Majesty for a glorious 70 years of reign.’ We have all been inspired by her legacy. Her legacy will live on forever in the story of our nation and the story in our hearts.
“We send our condolences to the Royal family and welcome His Majesty King Charles III to his role and wish him a long, happy and successful reign. God Save The King.”
Special memorial services to honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II are being held at Huddersfield Parish Church and Dewsbury Minster on Sunday September 18 (both at 7.15pm). Members of the public are invited to attend either venue to pay their respects.
The service at Huddersfield Parish Church will be attended by Deputy Mayor of Kirklees Clr Burke, council leader Clr Pandor and the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin.
Attending the service of prayer and reflection at Dewsbury Minster will be the Mayor of Kirklees Clr Ahmed along with local dignitaries. Both services will be attended by multi-faith leaders.
Directly following the memorial services, at 8pm, the nation is invited to take part in a collective moment of silent reflection.
For those unable to attend in person the service will be live streamed on the Kirklees Council You Tube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGYzjZlA3J-yAgaGkDudkDw
