Minutes:
Councillor A Hopgood, Leader of the Council said that we had all been deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a sentiment she said that was shared by residents across our county.
The Leader said that as Britain’s longest serving monarch, The Queen had demonstrated remarkable commitment to her country. The mood of the nation and our communities here in County Durham during the period of mourning had clearly reflected the influence she had on all of our lives. The Council had played a key role during recent events. This had included supporting the proclamation of the new King by the High Sheriff for County Durham in Durham Market Place and arranging a local proclamation in the Council Chamber. The Council had also invited people to gather in Durham Market Place in marking the national Moment of Reflection. Our teams had supported residents wishing to pay their respects by providing books of condolence and dedicated locations for the laying of floral tributes.
The Leader passed on her thanks to all of those staff involved in this work.
The Leader would save her message of condolence for the motion later in the agenda but reminded members aware that the book of condolence in the Durham Room would remain open until the end of the day on 21 September 2022.