Parliamentarians returned to the House of Assembly for a new session following their traditional summer break. They used the occasion to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8th at the age of 96.
Leading the tributes was Prime Minister and Member for Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador, the Hon. Philip Davis. Mr. Davis said, “Her Majesty’s dedicated commitment to fulfilling her duty and the warmth, wit and wisdom with which she did so are legendary. How many 25 year olds can you think of who would, not only take on such weighty responsibilities , but would then discharge them in such a sustained and dignified way for seventy years. From every perspective, Queen Elizabeth II was a remarkable woman. Her late Majesty’s commitment to the Commonwealth is well known.”
The Prime Minister also noted the ties between The Bahamas and the United Kingdom and hope that that relationship would continue.
The Hon. Michael Pintard, Leader of the Official Opposition and Member of Parliament for Marco City also paid tribute to the late sovereign. He said, “Her Majesty The Queen was, by many estimates, a consummate leader who served humanity with dignity, decency and unchanging loyalty during seventy year reign during of the Commonwealth Of Nations. Her Majesty The Queen was committed to empowering young people. I remember the contributions of the royal family as I served as the youth spokesperson for then fifty two Commonwealth countries for a three year period. She was diligent in terms of the work done in protecting the environment.”
Mr. Pintard also spoke about Her Majesty’s affinity for The Bahamas noting her five visits to the country during her reign.
A state funeral for Her Majesty is planned for September 19 at Westminster Abbey in London.
