Forty-eight hours after she was appointed by the Queen, the Prime Minister was to lead a nation in paying tribute to her. Today the House of Commons was a sea of black as MPs observed a minute’s silence and the prime minister was once again tasked with capturing the mood of a country, reflecting the spirit and personality of a monarch and signaling the transition to a new reign. Unlike Liz Truss’ first speech standing alone in front of the Downing Street door, in Parliament she was surrounded by predecessors with richer memories than the Queen and opposite Sir Keir Starmer who has more experience of leading parties than the despatch box . The Prime Minister spoke of “one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known” who “generously shared with me her deep experience of governance, even in those final days.” However, Ms Truss’s contribution is unlikely to be the moment those present will remember. Image: Boris Johnson Boris Johnson spoke about “Elizabeth the Great” and forty minutes into the proceedings, he was the first speaker to make MPs laugh: “I remember innocent joy ten years ago after the opening ceremony of the London Olympics when I told her that the leader of a friendly Middle Eastern country actually seemed to think she jumped out of a helicopter in a pink dress and parachuted into the stadium,” he said. Sir Keir touched on the reassurance provided by the late monarch during the pandemic, telling MPs: “The loss of our Queen robs this country of its anchor point, its greatest comfort, just when we need these things most.” . Theresa May, who might not be considered a natural humorist, changed those perceptions with a funny and moving speech. Image: Sir Keir Starmer Read more about the Queen: The Queen and her 15 Prime Ministers The Queen’s death – what happens next? Former Labor minister Harriet Harman recounted the period after she was sacked from government when her diary was empty and her phone stopped ringing: “My office was stunned when I got a call from Buckingham Palace. “Nobody else wanted anything to do with me. But the Queen wanted to see me. I was invited to tea with the Queen to thank me for my service as Foreign Secretary.” It is rare to see MPs nodding and muttering in support of opposing MPs’ contributions. This happened constantly during this first tribute session. In the center of the room, however, Liz Truss could hear her colleagues almost completely. The weight of her role at this moment was clear on her face and in her body language. And these challenges will likely continue in the coming days.
