'The county did our former queen proud’ says leader of Oxfordshire County Council

Councillor Liz Leffman (Lib Dem, Charlbury and Wychwood) made the address when opening the county’s first meeting in which business was conducted in public, Tuesday's gathering of the cabinet, since the death of Britain’s longest reigning monarch on Thursday, September 8.

Formal processes, events and gatherings and facilitating things like books of condolence quickly became top of the to-do list for authorities of all shapes and sizes up and down the land following the monarch's passing with Cllr Leffman grateful to those who helped to ensure that 70-plus years of dutiful service was recognised by the county.

“I would like to start with a big thank you to all the staff of the county council who were involved in organising everything last week,” she said.

“From the book of condolence to the proclamation, all of those things went off like clockwork and that was down to the staff we have here who worked incredibly hard.

“Thanks also to the lieutenancy office for the way they organised things, I know these things have been planned for over many years but when they actually happen it is all a bit of a surprise and a shock and I think we did immensely well.

“We had some extremely moving events, some of us were at a service at the cathedral on Sunday and I think we did our former queen proud, and indeed our new king.”