His Excellency the Governor: Mr Speaker, Chief Justice, Chief Minister, Leader of the loyal Opposition, thank you for your warm and generous welcome. I am honoured to be here in your Parliament and can only apologise for my delayed arrival in Gibraltar. That delay has, however, only made me more eager to get down to work, fully immerse myself in the life of Gibraltar and to play a positive and constructive role in its future. 

More years ago than I really care to remember, I joined my first ship in the Royal Navy as a fresh-faced, very eager young officer, keen to make his mark. The ship was undergoing an intensive period of operational sea training, with fires, floods, attacks by all sorts of enemy ships, submarines and aircraft – a sort of controlled mayhem to test us and to see if the ship and its people were completely ready for operations. I rushed into the Engine Room and asked an old and bold Fleet Chief Petty Officer what I could do to help. He looked me up and down in that measured way that indicated that he had seen the likes of me before, and said quietly, “just sit down - watch and listen. One day young sir you may be useful”. Those words are ringing in my ears now, and I suspect that many here would, in a very kind and considerate way, be thinking the same of this new although now not-so youthful Governor. 

Mr Speaker, in preparing to assume this appointment, I have indeed been watching and listening from afar, but I know that nothing can compare with hearing from the people of Gibraltar themselves. Current circumstances may not allow the close engagement I would wish, at least not initially, but I am determined to listen and to be useful, not one day but as soon as possible. 

One thing I will not need to be told is how special Gibraltar and its people are. Winston Churchill once said, “a country which forgets its past has no future” and it is already clear to me that Gibraltar’s history has fashioned a people with a special character and ambition for themselves and this unique place. Typical of that character has been the way in which Gibraltar has demonstrated to the world an amazing proficiency in denying the Coronavirus 

a strong foothold here. My heart goes out to the people of Gibraltar, those whose home has always been here and those more recently settled, or just here for a temporary period, who have suffered with this virus. 

The Government of Gibraltar needed to take tough decisions to protect public health and, if I may be allowed, I commend the Chief Minister and his Government for the way they have confronted this threat, and the way in which this Parliament has been as one in ensuring a timely and proper response. As ever, everyone who lives on the Rock, and indeed those who daily come to work here as part of the essential public services, have rallied together to ensure that Gibraltar has remained strong in the face of adversity. 

We can all hope that this is but a dreadful moment in time in Gibraltar’s rich and varied history, but it is one which reflects once again the personal and collective strength of all who reside and work here, and their ability to work together to overcome any challenge. 

The world will be a somewhat different place when we eventually emerge from the grip of this pandemic and I hope very much that the recent necessity for distinct national action will soon become an international, cooperative approach to economic and social re-building. Gibraltar will face new challenges and new opportunities. If, therefore, I wanted one phrase to summarise the priority I set myself for my time as Governor, it would be to be forward looking. 

Gibraltar honours its past, lives the present and focusses on a prosperous and inclusive future. From my home a thousand miles away, I watched Gibraltar lower the European Union flag and raise, in its place, the flag of the Commonwealth. I look forward to helping Gibraltar l reach out to all the countries and territories of the Commonwealth to forge new and exciting trade and economic partnerships. But there are also opportunities in the wider world, and it seems to me that Gibraltar is set fair to seize them. Meanwhile, and it goes without saying, that Gibraltar like the United Kingdom, will retain the closest possible economic and social relations with those nations closest to us within the European Union, and including of course across the straits in North Africa – for the mutual good of our economies, our security and our society. 

None of what I have said undermines the importance of the United Kingdom’s assurances on sovereignty, underpinned by the Gibraltarian people’s right of self-determination. The constitutional commitment of the United Kingdom is clear: Her Majesty’s Government will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes. Furthermore, Her Majesty’s Government has also declared publicly and repeatedly that it would never enter a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. 

Mr Speaker, if I may I would like to say a few words on what being Governor and Commander-in-Chief means to me. As a naval officer I am of course very mindful of the welcome and sanctuary that Gibraltar has provided to sailors serving under the White Ensign for many years, and the support given to the Fleet. The strategic importance of Gibraltar never alters and while the number of Service men and women who are stationed here has fallen, the welcome given to those in uniform never changes. As you know, my two predecessors were Royal Marines and, while I fully appreciate the close bond between the Corps and Gibraltar, marked perpetually in the cap badge worn on the Green Beret, I am incredibly proud that a representative of the other part of the Naval Service is, this time, about to make a home in The Convent. 

More important than good natured rivalry between the Services, the appointment I am privileged to assume indicates in a way no other appointment can the strength of relations between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar. I recognise my new office, one entrusted to me for a short period by The Sovereign, as the clearest possible symbol of friendship between people geographically separated but no less bound tightly together. The office represents everything that is good in mutual understanding and support, our shared loyalty to democratic principles and the rule of law, and a selfless ambition in a dynamic and often insecure world for the benefit of all the people of Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. The role is also a vehicle through which to effect change where it is beneficial to all. Gibraltar’s Constitution provides for a modern relationship between mature democracies, both relying on each other in so many ways. As an individual, so very fortunate to be chosen to represent Her Majesty the Queen in Gibraltar, I will do my utmost to make sure that nothing can undermine the strength of partnership that has existed for many hundreds of years between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom. I know that the relationship will at times be tested, as are relations in the closest of families; but, by use of a common language and through shared values and shared strategic intent, I am in no doubt that such challenges can be overcome. I have already noted that the cannons in front of No 6 point directly at the Convent, and one of my foremost aims over the course of my residence in that place is to ensure that no one ever feels inclined to use them against me! 

I will watch, listen, learn and will make sure that the voice of Gibraltar is heard and understood where it needs to be. And I hope to be more than just a symbol, playing my part in the most positive way in the daily life of Gibraltar and, where my abilities allow and as permitted to me under the Constitution, to help this Parliament in the work that it has to do. In those ways and in others, I commit myself to the service of Gibraltar, its people and its Government, and hope that in very short order, I will indeed be useful. 

Mr Speaker, I am delighted to be able to conclude with a message from Her Majesty the Queen, who has asked me to convey her continued support and admiration for the people of Gibraltar and her best wishes at this challenging time.