Long live the Queen!

As I filed past the catafalque of the late Queen Mother I knew I represented thousands of people in South Wiltshire who would have been there in Westminster Hall if they could. Like most of those present I was with my family. For this outpouring of love and respect spanned the generations and knew no bounds of geography, rank or wealth. And that is how it should be. That is what the Royal Family is for, in our democratic constitutional monarchy. Only the British understand this - other nations, great and small, are mesmerised by it.

The Brits are the only nation in the world who can organise and carry out a great ceremony that relies on meticulous planning, faultless and disciplined timing and execution, coordinating an unlikely combination of fighting servicemen and women, royalty, heads of state, religious leaders, and thousand upon thousands of our fellow citizens. Why do we do it? What does it all mean?

With the wisdom of a little hindsight, I should have realised the significance of it all as soon as they started preparing Westminster Hall - I walk through it most days at work in London - for the lying in state. It was the imperial purple that got me. Not just royal crimson here. The last Queen Empress would take her leave of us. I have always been proud of our island nation's achievements around the globe - never prouder than this celebration of Elizabeth's great life and all she achieved with us and for us.

Now we - and our Royal Family - must look to the future. First, we should celebrate the Queen's Golden Jubilee with real gusto. Thank Heaven our Head of State is neither an elected Party politician nor a clapped-out ex-politician! Instead we can rejoice with the sovereign symbol of our nation's heritage, of our daily life and of our hopes and dreams for the future. So many of our villages, and Salisbury itself, are planning events of all kinds. So, let's party!

I believe the events of 2002 will breathe new life into our monarchy as an institution and into our Royal Family as people. We are a stubborn, proud nation. We show it in some pretty curious ways. But we have just shown that deep-down we know we need our monarchy and we don't like people mucking about with our constitution. We politely ignore them if they try. Two hundred thousand people who queued up and trudged through Westminster Hall just proved that. So did millions who watched the funeral on TV at home. So did billions who watched it around the world and said that we are right.

Our Queen Empress is dead. So, thank goodness, is Cool Britannia. Rule, Britannia!

ROBERT KEY MP