This week I had the opportunity to attend the presentation in Westminster Hall of Addresses by the Speakers of both Houses of Parliament, congratulating the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee. It was, as one would expect, an event of great ceremony and typically British.

The last time MPs and Lords gathered in Westminster Hall was to hear Barack Obama.

The feel of this event was certainly different but with the same sense of grand occasion.

The Queen, who was accompanied to Parliament by Prince Philip, made a characteristically gracious and personal response, tinged with humour.

During her 60-year reign the Queen has been served by 12 Prime Ministers, some of whom were in the audience, a reminder of the fact that whilst party political fortunes ebb and flow the Queen remains a steady constant

Before the Queen spoke a stained glass window was unveiled, a gift from both Houses of Parliament to mark the occasion of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Sitting as far back as I was in the hall I can't say that I got a good look at the window but no doubt it will look splendid once it is fixed in place!

Addresses to the Monarch by Parliament are a long established tradition and the first one officially recorded took place in 1540.

In the early years of this tradition the Addresses were sometimes contentious but increasingly have been used for expressions of condolence or congratulations and the Queen also received Addresses in Westminster Hall on the occasions of her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and Golden Jubilee in 2002.

I still recall vividly standing along the Bath Road during the Silver Jubilee celebrations, with lots of other school children, waving a Union flag as the Queen's car sped past.

Afterwards we all chatted excitedly about how we had seen the Queen, however fleetingly! 35 years later I got a slightly closer view of the Queen and it was as thrilling as in 1977.