Mourners gather for funeral of Baroness Betty Boothroyd
Rishi Sunak leads tributes to Baroness Betty Boothroyd as mourners gather for funeral of the only female speaker of the House of Commons after she died aged 93
- Mourners are gathering to pay respects at St George’s Church, Thriplownear
- Baroness Boothroyd gained respect for charm and ‘no-nonsense’ style in chair
Mourners have gathered for the funeral of the first ever female Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd following her death aged 93 last month.
Baroness Boothroyd, an MP for 27 years before sitting in the Lords for Labour for a further two decades, shattered more than 700 years of parliamentary tradition when she was elected Commons speaker in April 1992.
Mourners, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Keir Starmer, have gathered to pay their respects at St George’s Church, Thriplownear, near her home in Cambridgeshire today.
Leading tributes ahead of the service, Mr Sunak said: ‘Today we come together from across the political spectrum to remember one of our greatest Speakers – the remarkable Betty Boothroyd. Parliament stands taller because of her service.’
The Prime Minister walked up the path leading to the 12th century church, before being greeted outside the building.
Baroness Boothroyd was an MP for 27 years before sitting in the Lords for Labour for a further two decades
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives to attend the funeral of former Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer walked up the path to the historic stone church unaccompanied, shaking hands with people greeting mourners outside before heading in
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle pictured arriving at the service this morning
‘Morning, very nice to see you,’ he said, adding that he was glad to be there. He then went inside shortly before the hearse pulled up.
Four pallbearers carried her coffin, topped with a white floral tribute, into the church as organ music could be heard.
READ MORE: Tributes paid to Betty Boothroyd as the first ever female Commons Speaker dies aged 93
‘Ladies and gentlemen, would you please stand,’ the vicar was heard telling the congregation inside as the private service began at noon.
It comes after flags were flown at half mast in Westminster following the news last month, while MPs took part in a minute’s silence in the Commons at the start of business.
Following her death last month, Mr Starmer said: ‘Betty Boothroyd was an incredible and inspirational woman.
‘As Speaker, she was at the forefront of a generation that smashed the glass ceiling for female politicians. She made the role her own, with a wit and style that will never be replicated.’
He walked up the path to the historic stone church unaccompanied, shaking hands with people greeting mourners outside before heading in.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the current speaker, appeared to remark on the chilly and drizzly weather as he exchanged a few words with the people greeting mourners outside the church, saying his ‘heart is still warm’.
Mr Sunak also earlier hailed the passing of ‘a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to politics’, while Theresa May praised her ‘inimitable style, but also her immense personal warmth and kindness’.
Speaking outside the funeral service today, Neil Rowland-Hall, 68, treasurer at St George’s Church, said: ‘She was very popular and she was always very friendly to everybody.
‘She took part in the various events that happened in the village. I can remember the Queen’s Jubilee, she was around then.’
He added: ‘She certainly made her presence felt – in a nice way.’
The hearse carrying the coffin of Baroness Boothroyd pictured arriving at the church for the funeral service
The coffin of former Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd is carried into St George’s Church
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the current speaker, appeared to remark on the chilly and drizzly weather as he arrived for the service
The Prime Minister walked up the path leading to the 12th century church, before being greeted outside the building
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak led tributes to Baroness Boothroyd ahead of the funeral service today
Born in Dewsbury, in Yorkshire, Lady Boothroyd worked as a professional dancer from 1946 to 1948 and appeared in pantomime in London’s West End before going into politics
Labour leader Keir Starmer said last month that Baroness Boothroyd was ‘an incredible and inspirational woman’
Guests arrive for the funeral of former Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd at St George’s Church, Thriplow
Mourners are gathering for the funeral of the first ever female Commons Speaker Betty Boothroyd following her death at the age of 93 last month
The service concluded with the congregation singing The Battle Hymn Of The Republic.
Mourners including Labour leader Mr Starmer and Mr Hoyle then gathered outside as the hearse departed while the church bells tolled.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shook hands with several congregants before departing.
Baroness Boothroyd gained respect from both sides of the House for her charm and ‘no-nonsense’ style in the chair from 1992 to 2000.
Born in Dewsbury, in Yorkshire, Lady Boothroyd worked as a professional dancer from 1946 to 1948 and appeared in pantomime in London’s West End before going into politics, unsuccessfully contesting four parliamentary seats before being elected to West Bromwich (later to become West Bromwich West) in May 1973.
Baroness Boothroyd was Speaker between 1992 and 2000, straddling the final years of John Major’s Tory government the first phase of Tony Blair’s administration.
She took on the job less than three years after TV cameras were allowed to broadcast live proceedings from the chamber.
She was an MP from 1973 until entering the Lords in 2001.
Baroness Boothroyd initially represented Labour and then, as is customary, sat as an independent during her time as Speaker.
The Order of Service for the funeral of former Speaker of the House of Commons taking place today
Lady Boothroyd shattered more than 700 years of parliamentary tradition when she became the first woman to be elected Commons speaker in April 1992
Baroness Boothroyd gained respect from both sides of the House for her charm and ‘no-nonsense’ style in the chair from 1992 to 2000
Mourners walk towards St George’s Church in Thriplow, Cambridgeshire, ahead of the funeral service
She was born on October 8, 1929, to a working-class family in the manufacturing town of Dewsbury, Yorkshire.
Betty was the only child of Ben Archibald Boothroyd and wife Mary who were both textile workers.
Following in her parents’ footsteps, by joining the Labour Party at 16, served to further quench Betty’s political appetite.
She went to Eastborough School and was scouted by the Tiller Girls at 17.
Despite a foot infection ending Betty’s dancing dreams, she caught the ‘political bug’ which would shape the rest of her life.
Betty was working in politics full time by 19.
By May 1952 she stood for a ‘hopeless’ seat in Dewsbury’s town council elections but lost by narrow margin.
Boothroyd tasted political defeat again, at 25, when she was chosen in July 1956 to fight the seat in Leicester.
The former Speaker welcoming the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to a dinner in Westminster in 1996
And she suffered the same fate when standing to represent the constituencies of Peterborough, Nelson and Colne and Rossendale.
But it took another 18 years, at the fifth time of trying in 1973, that she entered the Commons at 43 by winning the West Bromwich by-election and doubling Labour’s majority.
A year later, in 1974, she was made a government whip tasked with drumming up support and ensuring her party’s MPs toed the line.
She also became an MEP in the European Parliament in 1975, before serving as a member of Labour’s national executive committee.
She was elected speaker, at 62, on April 27, 1992, by 372 votes to 238.
Her achievement was even more remarkable considering she was one of only 19 female MPs elected to parliament in 1979. This figure rose to 60 by the time she became Speaker.
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