By Cllr Jason Brock
Since last Thursday we have been amid a period of national mourning for the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
I am sure that residents from across our town will join me and the Council in sending condolences to the Royal Family.
The death of a sovereign, and quite especially when she was the only monarch most of us have ever known, is inevitably a time for reflection.
It must also be a time of commemoration, and of showing gratitude for the late Queen’s lifetime of public service to our country and people.
Whatever else one may think, it is hard to deny that her 70 years of dedicated work to our nation is a remarkable achievement and more than worthy of our collective respect.
The monarchy is a peculiar feature of our constitution and also, therefore, of the United Kingdom’s political and public life. I am proud and pleased that in the past few days Reading has shown, yet again, its collective spirit and civic pride in response to the Queen’s passing.
There is a peculiar juxtaposition at present in also needing to acknowledge and mark the accession of a new monarch.
The proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III at two separate events held in Reading last Sunday was a historic occasion.
As county town, we hosted both the Berkshire proclamation, led by the High Sheriff of Royal Berkshire, and the succeeding town proclamation, led by the Mayor of Reading.
Since the last proclamations were back in 1952, there was no institutional memory of holding such occasions, but I am grateful to everyone involved in their organisation and execution, including all those residents and others who attended.
Following the proclamations, attention turns back towards remembering the late Queen.
On Sunday, September 18, at 2pm, the Council is holding a Civic Memorial Service at the Minster Church.
Everyone is, naturally, welcome to attend.
We also have books of condolence open at the Town Hall, the Minster Church and our Library Branches for members of the public to sign and are facilitating the management of floral tributes laid at the Queen Victoria statue on Friar Street.
Finally, and having spent so much of the last week in the presence of the Mayoral Chain of office, I was reminded of a peculiar story about it. Reading’s Chain is the only one in the country to carry a badge with the Royal Arms.
In 1897, Queen Victoria sent one of these badges to every Mayor in England to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee.
The badge should have been returned the next year, but Reading neglected to do so (which sounds a very typically Reading story). When Queen Elizabeth II visited our town to open the old Civic Centre, Prince Philip noticed the badge and asked why we still had it.
Luckily, the Queen subsequently granted permission for us to keep it. I find it a quirky and amusing little story – and it charms me that Reading has this unique Royal distinction.
Cllr Jason Brock is the leader of Reading Borough Council and ward member for Southcote
