44th Parl. 1st Sess.

September 15, 2022 10:00AM

Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, CPC)

Sep/15/22 11:07:14 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I rise today, I feel sadness at the passing of a great historical figure, but I take solace in a pleasant personal memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I would like to quickly share my story. In 2002, during Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee, celebrating 50 years on the throne, I went to London as a tourist. I went to Buckingham Palace in August, when it is open to tourists. My wife and I were touring Buckingham Palace when, for some unknown reason, I turned to her and said, “I think I will come back here someday.” Four years later, I was the commanding officer of the Régiment de la Chaudière, a Canadian Armed Forces unit whose colonel-in-chief was Queen Elizabeth II, as she was for 13 other regiments in Canada, including the famous Royal 22nd Regiment. I was surprised to learn that, as commanding officer of the Régiment de la Chaudière, I had direct access to my colonel-in-chief. I requested an audience with Her Majesty to present her with a copy of Le Régiment de la Chaudière, which had recently been reprinted. It was a special edition printed specifically for Her Majesty. Imagine my surprise when my request was promptly accepted. The Queen's office told me that Her Majesty would receive me on May 5, 2006. The problem was that my daughter was turning one year old on May 5, 2006. I summoned the courage to ask Her Majesty's secretary whether the meeting could be rescheduled and, again, I was surprised to hear back that they understood and that there was no problem rescheduling. The audience was postponed by two weeks. I thought it was rather cheeky of me. The Queen had granted me an audience and there I was, saying I was unavailable and asking Her Majesty to reschedule. I was thrilled that they were so respectful and agreed to reschedule the audience. In May 2006, I was received at Buckingham Palace, together with my honorary colonels, Marcel Belleau and Laurence Létourneau; the museum's director at the time, my friend Richard Martin; my regimental sergeant major, Claude Pineault; and our wives. Here is another funny part of my trip to see Her Majesty. When I arrived at London Heathrow, the customs officer asked me what I was doing in England. I said that I was coming to meet with the Queen. The customs officer looked at me and asked me the real reason. Again, I said that I was coming to meet with the Queen. It made me so happy to say, “I am officially here to meet with the Queen.” Obviously, it is very rare for tourists to enter Buckingham Palace. Usually, the gates are locked up tight and people stand out front, hoping to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty. My group and I were lucky enough to make our way through the gate and straight to the palace, to be welcomed, to be received in a hall, in front of the Queen's office. It was obviously stressful. Meetings with the Queen at Buckingham Palace are quite rare. It is difficult to explain the feeling that comes over you when the office door opens and you see the small figure of Her Majesty waiting. It is a combination of anxiety and joy. There are obviously protocols. When entering the office, women curtsy. The Queen must be greeted. Earlier, the Prime Minister mentioned in his speech that the Queen had a wonderful sense of humour. When Her Majesty saw that everyone was rather uncomfortable and did not know what to do, she made a joke to put everyone at ease. She said, “You know, the gentleman who was here with me before you was the general in command of my royal guard, but he is limping because he fell off his horse.” She spoke excellent French. When the Queen made that joke about the general in charge of her royal guard, the tension broke and we burst out laughing. That set the stage for our meeting, which ended up being fantastic. The purpose of the meeting was obviously to discuss my regiment, the Régiment de la Chaudière. I mentioned to her that she had last met with her regiment in the 1950s. She replied, quite simply, that it was about time. Her Majesty's brief response was charming. During our meeting, we presented her with the book about the regiment's history and told her about her regiment and how it was doing. It was all done without fanfare, but it was highly significant for me and my companions, my honorary colonels and our wives. One never forgets an audience like that at Buckingham Palace. The Queen had an unpretentious way of making everyone feel welcome and at ease. To me, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II always represented the stability of our institutions. No matter the party in power in England, Canada or any other Commonwealth country during her 70-year reign, the Queen was a constant, gracious presence. Parliaments are no strangers to partisanship, but, to me, the Queen was above it all. That is what made the greatest impression on me throughout Elizabeth II's reign. What is more, as a member of the military, I had the honour of swearing allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen. I did so first as a soldier and then as an officer. I also did so three times as an MP. I swore allegiance to a woman for whom I had an enormous amount of respect. Whether one believes in the monarchy or not, when it came to Elizabeth II, what mattered to me was the person. As I mentioned, the important thing is what she represented and her optimistic spirit that gave heart to the Commonwealth. In closing, I am honoured to have had the opportunity to share my personal story with the House. Obviously, I am saddened by Her Majesty's death, but it was not unexpected, life being what it is. Now we have a new king, Charles III. Long may he reign. Long live King Charles III.

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