Jewish MPs and peers from across the political spectrum have delivered a series of heartfelt tributes to Her Majesty for her expertise, kindness and as a virtual “Jewish grandmother”.

Among those praising the Queen’s grasp of international affairs was Labour’s Lord Levy.

The special envoy to the Middle East under Tony Blair recalled a charity lunch when he sat next to Her Majesty for well over an hour.

He told the JC: “I still have a picture of us together taken on that day in pride of place on my desk.

"We had the most amazing conversation about my work as an envoy. She revealed she had an unbelievable depth of knowledge about the diplomatic peace process and the various heads of state who I had been meeting, and she asked me engaged, informed questions about them.

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Robert Halfon MP

“It was a very special honour to be appointed a life peer by her in 1997, and I am proud to have served ever since as a member of the House of Lords.”

Others also had warm words for Her Majesty’s kindness and service to all communities.
Distinguished lawyer and crossbench peer Lord Pannick QC told the JC: “Her Majesty has inspired, shown great interest in and received the devotion of the Jewish community.

“There is no greater tribute than to say she could be a Jewish grandmother or great-grandmother.”

Tory MP Robert Halfon, a former director of Conservative Friends of Israel, recalled how as a boy attending Shabbat services at Norrice Lea synagogue in London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb he noticed that the one prayer in the siddur to be written and spoken in English, rather than Hebrew, was that for the Queen.

He said: “The Queen asks the Lord to deal kindly and fairly with all Israel and that is what she has done throughout her reign – as she has every minority group.

“And we as Jews keep and celebrate our culture, but we are loyal subjects of the Queen.

“To me, the Queen is the mother of the nation, and I’m proud that in our religion we honour her with this prayer every Shabbat.”

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Margaret Hodge

London Labour MP Margaret Hodge praised Her Majesty’s “amazing loyalty and commitment to all the peoples of Britain”. She said: “She has provided a focus for stability and togetherness for seven decades – an unprecedented achievement. During her reign, every community, always including the Jews, has felt respected and valued by her.”

Louise Ellman, the former Liverpool Labour MP who was one of the staunchest enemies of the antisemitism that flourished in parts of her party when it was led by Jeremy Corbyn, remembered meeting Her Majesty on a number occasions.

Her encounters with the Queen go back to the 1970s, when Ms Ellman was Opposition leader on Lancashire County Council. She said: “Every time I’ve met her, I’ve been struck by her sense of dignity and calm, and the genius she has for making people feel comfortable in her presence.

That is the secret, why she is held rightly and universally held in such high esteem.”
Former Home Secretary and Tory Party leader Michael Howard said: “All my life I have been a devoted admirer. But she has and remains exceptional. It is truly remarkable that she is so widely loved, not only here but across the entire world, and has been for such a long period.”