Hon. Pierrette Ringuette: Honourable senators, it is with profound sadness that I rise today to pay solemn tribute to our late Queen, Her Majesty Elizabeth II, who passed away September 8 and was laid to rest yesterday in London as millions of grieving admirers looked on. Canadians are among these admirers and rightly so.

As a little girl, I would go to sleep dreaming of princesses and queens, believing that they lived in a magical fantasy world. I later realized that they were not fairy tale characters, but a segment of our society living under the constant scrutiny of a public that sometimes had unrealistic expectations.

Rest assured, I am not related to royalty, but I do admit to greatly admiring Queen Elizabeth II, this mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who did not flinch in the face of the strong winds that occasionally shook Buckingham Palace.

That is why I was so charmed by this grand lady. To me, she seemed like a great-aunt who was living abroad so she could carry out her family and professional responsibilities. This great-aunt always showed up for our meetings, the biggest moments of our lives in Canada, and, on each occasion, we revelled in her presence, her smile, her sense of humour, her displays of deep affection, and her support for our dreams and our future.

This great-aunt and great lady was a strong, poised, engaged and dynamic leader. She was caring and compassionate, especially with respect to the greater Commonwealth family she served for 70 years with unimpeachable devotion. Even in her final days, she reached out to Canadians to express her condolences following the deadly tragedy in Saskatchewan.

She nobly saw our nation through some difficult times, and we in turn gave her our support and devotion when she was going through trying times, as one would expect from a family member or close friend.

I had obviously not yet been born when this great-aunt and great lady ascended the throne in 1952, but since then, her influence has inspired thousands of women from multiple generations to take on leadership roles. The fact that I am paying tribute to this great-aunt and great lady in French today is also a testament to the profound affection she showed to French Canadians across the country through her command and use of French during her visits.

Although I never met the Queen, all of her qualities renewed my affection for her and made me feel she was indeed part of the Canadian family.

Like you, I join all Canadians in offering my deepest condolences to the members of the Royal Family, and I thank them for supporting Queen Elizabeth II throughout her years of service to Canada.

We will remember Queen Elizabeth II fondly. God save the King.

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