Country and Royal Family joined in grief for Queen of compassion

The extraordinary reign of Elizabeth II always brought the nation together in times of joy and sadness - she was the great unifier

THE Queen's passing was a sad day for the whole country, but even more so for the Royal Family.

She was not just a head of state but also a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

I hope that it brings comfort to the King and all her family to see how cherished and loved she was, as the country joins them in grieving her passing.

Throughout her extraordinary 70 years of public service, the Queen led by example and showed us all the need for kindness and compassion in our society.

Her advice to our political leaders was respected by all, and in times of crisis from the Blitz to the pandemic - she provided invaluable leadership.

So often in our politics, both today and throughout history, we focus too much on what divides us - but the Queen always brought us together.