I am sure residents will join me in mourning the loss of our much loved Queen and to help local residents, I have outlined below places in Bexley where local people can pay their tributes to our late Queen, including Books of Condolences and floral tributes.
Whilst we reflect on the Queen's wonderful life of duty and service, I also wanted to highlight some of her links to Bexley over her 70 years on the throne, which I hope will bring some comfort to you.
Our thoughts and prayers are of course with King Charles III and all of the Royal Family in these sad times.
God Save The King.
Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth ll in House of Commons
I was truly honoured to give the final tribute in the House of Commons to the late HM The Queen on the behalf of people in Old Bexley and Sidcup which can be viewed here.
It was an incredible and historic 11 hours of heartfelt tributes in the Commons chamber and I waited patiently to the very end to ensure that a tribute was made on the behalf of people in Old Bexley & Sidcup.
The Proclamation of Succession in Bexley
It was a pleasure to attend the Proclamation of Accession at the Civic Offices which followed the national proclamation of King Charles III.
I would also like to thank all the Bexley residents that attended the Reading as it was so warming to see our community come together to mourn the late HM The Queen and welcome King Charles III. I also really enjoyed hearing local people's own experiences and memories after the event.
Her Majesty the Queen and Bexley
I was immensely proud to have discovered in the build-up to the Platinum Jubilee that Old Bexley and Sidcup was found to be the most royalist constituency and thought I'd highlight some lovely examples of the connections Bexley has shared with our late Queen as we reflect on her life and service.
Old Bexley and Sidcup had one of the highest number of street parties and community events for the Platinum Jubilee, reflecting how cherished our late Queen was locally and it was my immense privilege to attend many of these excellent events.
The late HM The Queen also visited Bexley on a number of occasions, most recently in 2005 where she officially re-opened Danson House which makes the floral tributes starting to be laid there so fitting. Many of us will remember the excitement of her visit where she was greeted by large crowds of well-wishers.
It is also important to remember a previous visit the late Queen made to Bexley in 1953 to Erith after the devastating floods. This reminds us of how the Queen has been there for us throughout the good times but also the bad, and of how her presence brought both comfort and hope at times of concern in an ever-changing world.
Memorial Flowers
Bexley residents are welcome to lay flowers at Hall Place and Danson House with further details below:
Hall Place - at the Visitors Centre Courtyard from 8am to 6pm.
Danson House – inside the forecourt at the front of Danson House.
Council staff will be at both locations from 9.30am to 5pm to assist with the laying of the flowers until the day of the funeral.
Book of Condolence
A Book of Condolence is available for all of Bexley's residents should they wish to sign it at the Contact Centre, Civic Offices, Bexleyheath.
Although the official reception of flowers will be at Hall Place and Danson House, any flowers that are brought to Civic Offices will be transported safely to one of these venues by Council Staff.
Many local Churches have also kindly opened their doors for candles, prayers and their own Book of Condolences. These include Bishop Ridley, Baldwyns Park Baptist Church, St John's Church Bexley, Holy Trinity Lamorbey and St John's Church Sidcup where I also had the pleasure of thanking the bell ringers over the weekend.
