Hyndburn Council have been deeply saddened by the loss of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Her life of devotion to our country has been clear to all and I know many residents will be reflecting on their own memories of The Queen. We were proud to welcome her to Accrington in 2012 and invite her and her late husband, The Duke of Edinburgh into our Victorian Market Hall and beautiful Town Hall. I had the honour of speaking to both and later the privilege of attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace too. The beautiful floral tributes laid in front of the Town Hall from the people of Hyndburn speak volumes, showing the love and admiration our community has for our late monarch. This year we have seen Jubilee events across the borough to celebrate her reign and our local community led the way with making these moments to remember.
People are welcome to leave floral tributes outside Accrington Town Hall and Hyndburn’s Book of Condolence is open inside Accrington Town Hall 10am-2:30pm every day, except the bank holiday Monday, up to and including 20th September. Hundreds of people have left messages of thanks and love for HM The Queen so far which is wonderful to see.
Last week we led the local Proclamation of King Charles III outside Accrington Town Hall. I would like to thank Cllr Abdul Khan, Mayor of Hyndburn for leading this service and to everyone involved in making it happen including the volunteer marshals and residents who attended. Meeting HM King Charles III to receive my OBE in 2020 was a true honour and we wish him a long and prosperous reign over the United Kingdom. When we know details about his coronation, we will be sharing information about how residents can get involved to mark this historic occasion. God save The King.