
I know that, today, there are countless people in this country and around the world who have experienced the same sudden access of unexpected emotion, and I think millions of us are trying to understand why we are feeling this deep, personal and almost familial sense of loss. I am really not easily moved to tears, but I was so overcome with sadness that I had to ask them to go away. I am afraid that I simply choked up and could not go on. We sat down and the cameras started rolling, and they requested that I should talk about her in the past tense. A few months ago, the BBC came to see me to talk about Her Majesty the Queen. I hope the House will not mind if I begin with a personal confession.
