A wave of affection for the late Queen has swept around the world following her unexpected death aged 96 last Thursday, bringing the second Elizabethan era to a close.
As monarch, Queen Elizabeth II devoted herself to a life of public service when she was 21, taking the throne four years later following the death of her father, George VI in 1952.
During her record-breaking 70-year reign there were 15 Prime Ministers, and her death has prompted warm tributes from community leaders across the country, as Charles III becomes the new Head of State.
Here are a selection of the warm words spoken by North East MPs as the nation prepares for the funeral on Monday.
Darlington MP Peter Gibson
“She was a committed public servant, fulfilling her promise to our nation to serve us her whole life. That service was delivered with honour, duty and integrity. She stood as an inspiration to us all. On behalf of the people of Darlington, I send sincere and heartfelt condolences to His Majesty King Charles III and the whole royal family.
“Throughout her long reign, Her late Majestytravelled more widely and met more people than any other monarch, and her travels included two visits to Darlington. The first was in 1967.
"Her lateMajesty and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Darlington on the 100th anniversary of the town being awarded a royal charter by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, and Her lateMajesty granted supporters on the town’s coat of arms.
"At the time, there were plans to concrete over much of the town and to remove much of its Victorian heritage. I understand that the royal party asked several probing questions of those plans, which included the removal of our clock tower—inspired by the Elizabeth tower of this palace. I am pleased to say that the plans were largely dropped, and our clock tower still stands proudly over our town today.
"Her late Majesty returned to Darlington in 2002 as part of her golden jubilee tour. The town turned out in force to line the streets and welcome her. The floral offerings were so many that scouts were needed to help carry them to the car. The crowds were so big that the palace issued a statement the following day noting the unexpectedly large crowds. The Queen was truly loved by the people of Darlington, and she will be deeply missed.
"At Auckland castle, I attended a ceremony for the presentation of the Queen’s award for voluntary service to the community peer mentors in County Durham and Darlington, recognising the public service and duty in my constituency that her late Majesty embodied. We mourn her. We miss her. Her place in history and her lasting legacies are rightly assured. Now reunited with her husband, may she rest in peace until she rises in glory again. God save the King."
Berwick MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan
“As a young Brownie I swore my first oath of allegiance to HM The Queen, to serve the Queen and help other people. Those words have been with me ever since. The Queen’s devotion to duty and her constant demonstrations of that week in week out have been my most profound influence.
"I could never have imagined as that seven-year-old Brownie that 45 years later I would have the extraordinary privilege to be sworn in as one of Her Majesty’s privy counsellors. The greatest honour and responsibility of my life. The humour and warmth she showed me, alongside her certainty that I would help improve our government, was inspiring.
“As Secretary of State for International Trade, I had the constant and great joy of championing our great country around the world, with the most regular messages that they love our Queen. She created trust in our country, our people, our businesses, culture and customs, because she was so deeply respected and loved in every corner of the world.
“My fondest memory of HM the Late Queen was at the commissioning, aboard, of HMS Queen Elizabeth. She stood in the vast hangar, her small frame commanding the space, and shared her personal understanding of the anxieties and pride of all those families of the young sailors present, as the daughter, wife, mother and grandmother of Royal Navy officers. Our Late Queen lived alongside us all, always leading whilst being in our hearts.
“God Save the King.”
North West Durham MP Richard Holden
“Boris Johnson, in his traditional style, rightly noted that the Queen’s exemplary commitment to public service means that she will enter the annals of our history, and that of the world, as Elizabeth the Great.
“As the Prime Minister rightly remarked, the late Queen’s spirit of public service will serve as a shining example to empower and inspire future generations, including her son as he takes on his immense new task as His Majesty King Charles III.
“Her late Majesty did not just live by the principles and values of public service: the length, depth and breadth of her dutiful commitment, not only to the United Kingdom but to our realms across the seas, the Commonwealth and the world, made her into essentially a human embodiment of selfless public service.
“Over the past few days, one quote from Ecclesiastes has returned to me again and again:
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”.
"Throughout her life, as she grew with us, the Queen fulfilled many purposes as a constitutional monarch to passing generations: a friend, a mother, a grandmother and, in recent years, perhaps even a great-grandmother. Maybe we can find some purpose in her passing, too. Her late Majesty the Queen epitomised duty and public service, so much so that when we hear those words today, we see her and her example. She will be sorely missed, but she will never be forgotten. May she rest in peace and rise in glory. God save the King.”
Easington MP Grahame Morris
“The nation will mourn the passing of a truly remarkable monarch, who dedicated her life to public service and duty.
“We have been fortunate to live through the second great Elizabethan era. During her life our country has faced war, disasters, economic, political and social revolution. The Queen was a constant, unifying figure, that gave solace and comfort during times of national crisis.
“We mourn the loss of the Queen, but we also celebrate the life and legacy of our greatest monarch, the likes of which we will never see again.”
Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison
“It is difficult finding the words to express mine and my team’s deep sadness at the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
“She guided the country through our darkest hours, a beacon of hope and strength in times of war and pandemic.
“We can all learn many lessons from her lifetime of dedicated public services, which was always handed with dignity and grace,
“Rest in peace, Your Majesty. You will be deeply missed by us all.”
Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald
“I send my deepest condolences to the Royal Family.
“The nation will mourn the passing of our longest serving Monarch who dedicated her life to public service. Her reign has been a constant for generations and she has been loved and respected by people around the globe.
“The Queen was not just the Head of State, she was a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother and she will be hugely missed.” 
North Durham MP Kevan Jones
“Along with all the people of North Durham, I wish to express my deepest sorrow at the passing of HM Elizabeth II.
“Her Majesty was a singular example of service, sacrifice and adherence to duty. She conveyed calmness and ensured stability during periods of national upheaval, all whilst expressing a great personal warmness and sincerity.
“Her Majesty served the United Kingdom through her lifetime and through the lifetime of most of us. She was our connection with the past and a reminder of our shared heritage.
“In the execution of her duties, she was tireless, understated, and modest. Those of us who hold public office must uphold the example she leaves us. Indeed, she was an example to us all.
“Her Majesty was beloved by the people of the United Kingdom. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Queen’s family and the Royal Household at this deeply sad time."
Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy
“I was saddened to learn of the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday. Just earlier that day I had been attending the Queens Award for Voluntary Service presented at Auckland Castle.
“My thoughts and condolences remain with the Royal Family at this very difficult time.”
Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II inspired many millions not just in Britain, but around the world, through the lifetime of service she gave our great country and the Commonwealth.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was so revered throughout the UK as a beacon of constancy in times of great change and for bringing people together, even in times of great division.
“I want to express my deepest condolences to His Majesty the King and the Royal Family at this immeasurable loss."
Redcar MP Jacob Young
"It is an honour to pay tribute to Her late Majesty the Queen today for all that she did for my community and the country.
"Over the last few days, I have read many memories from the people of Teesside about the times they met her on her visits, like at Tees dock in 1977 or Pallister Park in 1993; the charities that she championed, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Scouts and the Girl Guides; and the horses that she raced at Redcar racecourse, where she twice won the Zetland Gold Cup.
"I never had the honour of meeting her late Majesty, but I have a wonderful portrait of her in my office that was given to me by my mam, from when she visited Middlesbrough on her first visit to Teesside as Queen.
"It is a photograph of her in a car driving towards the ICI Wilton site on a warm summer day in June 1956, where she was met by chemists and industrialists who were at the forefront of British innovation in chemical processing.
"At 3pm that day, the royal standard flew over the Wilton site as Her late Majesty was shown a range of products, from moulding powders and synthetic fibres to Perspex glasses.
"More than 60 years later, on that very same site, I remember gathering around a TV at 3pm on Christmas day as my shift paused work briefly to watch her Christmas message.
"Much had changed in those decades on Wilton—indeed, much had changed in Britain—but there was one constant: a sovereign who, over seven decades, demonstrated the values of duty and public service.
"She was a remarkable woman who was an amazing mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and, as we have heard from others, a trusted counsellor, guide and friend.
"The Queen’s Christianity formed the guiding principles of her life and the example that she set. In St Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he describes the “fruit of the Spirit” as 'love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control'.
"These are the words by which we knew our Queen. She was a monarch like no other, who gave everything for our country. As she said in her Christmas message in 1957:
“'I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.'
"That she did. She truly was Elizabeth the Great. God bless our late Queen. May she rest in peace. God save the King."
Hexham MP Guy Opperman
Her Majesty was our beloved Queen. Her service to our country was steadfast, dutiful and compassionate. On the occasion of the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, the poet Philip Larkin, who spent much of his time in Northumberland, wrote of her reign: “In times when nothing stood, but worsened or grew strange, there was one constant good, she did not change.”
Her Majesty visited Tynedale several times. The memories of these visits have endured for the many who attended them. She first visited Tynedale in 1974 where she visited Hexham Abbey to celebrate its 1300th anniversary – this was the first visit to the town by a reigning monarch for more than 750 years.
In 1982, Her Majesty opened Kielder Reservoir – a key piece of infrastructure for us all in Tynedale. The memories of her travelling through Bellingham are still vivid for the villagers who live there today. She also visited Prudhoe and Bardon Mill in 1998. The pictures of everyone meeting the Queen on Front Street show the incredible admiration everyone had and continues to have towards the Queen here in Tynedale.
The most moving tributes to the life of the Queen that I’ve experienced recently, however, were earlier this year during the Jubilee celebrations.
I was speaking at Henshaw Primary School about British values, and we went to questions.
The first child asked: “Have you met the Queen?”, I replied saying, “Yes, as an MP I’ve been lucky to meet her on a few occasions.” At that moment the whole atmosphere changed. A sea of hands went up and we continued exclusively to talk about Her Majesty, her public duty, beloved corgis and her recent meeting with Paddington Bear, for the rest of the session.
The tributes from my colleagues across the House of Commons have shown her powerful ability to bring us together. The Queen touched so many and that was reflected in the powerful tributes by my colleagues. From the lovely anecdotes from former prime ministers to Sir Kier Starmer’s powerful tribute that “she lived among us”, the speeches showed the best of the House of Commons.
The Queen was the best of us and a constant in a changing world. The shock to our country will be profound, as all our lives have evolved with hers.
My thoughts and prayers are with her family. They mourn their mother, and grandmother, as her country mourns her too.
God save the King.
Sedgefield MP Paul Howell
“I begin by giving my condolences to the Queen’s family, for whom this is a personal event as much as it is one of state. Although no one can deny that living to 96 constitutes a long life, the demise of the Crown has still come as a shock to us all and will be most deeply felt by her family.
“The Queen’s sudden absence reminds us again of what a steady presence she was for the nation, and the love we have for her was fully demonstrated through the platinum jubilee celebrations. It did not matter which of my 40-odd towns and villages I went to, there was a street party going on. Hers was not the sort of presence one necessarily thought about on a daily basis, but since most of us cannot remember a time without it, it just seemed like a fact of life. Her reliable consistency was all the more impressive given that it was not a role she chose, and it must have been a daunting prospect at the start.
"The values held and lived out by the Queen provide an example to everyone. She embodied virtues, such as respect, endurance and restraint, in as comprehensive a way as we have ever seen from anyone, anywhere. Nevertheless, no one is eternal, and we know that as a Christian she believed there was something more to look forward to.
"In trying to work out what to say today, I found inspiration from one of my constituents. Stephen Atkinson, a local resident of Wingate, shared a poem that he wrote in a community group, and he has kindly given me permission to read it to the House. It is called “Our Lily”.
Our lily of the valley
Has shed her petals free
To drift upon the winds of time
In her own sweet Galilee
The Mother of our nation
So long its beating heart
Offers her earthly shell to rest
For her soul must now depart
So free it roams, through gilded vale
And bonny lochs and moors
Past stag and hare,
and fragrant fayre
To dusk’s misty allures
Where lies a smile, she knows so well
Her waiting strength and stay
Together, two souls reunite
And dance the night away
And here we are
Elizabethans, is all we’ve ever been
For 70 years you tried your best
To live up to being Queen
You’ll always be our true foundation
The soil of our scepter’d Isle
A constant in our thoughts and hearts
Great Britain's brightest smile
I hope you sit upon Burmese
With your father by your side
And in his long lost face you’ll see
Only love and endless pride
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