Queen praises British 'resilience' in landmark address The Queen has begun her national tour to mark her 60-year reign and said she hoped the Diamond Jubilee celebrations would "be an opportunity for people to come together in a spirit of neighbourliness and celebration of their own communities." The work of millions in the professional and voluntary services, whose efforts were for the pubic good, would also be recognised this year as would the "remarkable sacrifice and courage of our armed forces." She said: "Much may have indeed have changed these past 60 years but the valour of those who risk their lives for the defence and freedom of us all remains undimmed." Members of the Royal Family have begun touring the Queen's realms to mark her Diamond Jubilee, with Prince Harry recently returning from a trip to Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica. The Queen added: "These overseas tours are a reminder of our close affinity with the Commonwealth, encompassing about one-third of the world's population. Artist John Reyntiens has created the new three-panelled stained glass Diamond Jubilee window, which is based on the royal coat of arms. The Queen thanked the peers and MPs for the present and said: "Should this beautiful window cause just a little extra colour to shine down on this ancient place, I should gladly settle for that." The idea for the gift came from Michael Ellis, Tory MP for Northampton North, who established and chaired the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. In his introductory speech, Commons Speaker Mr Bercow praised the Queen for "Sixty years of stability. Sixty years of security. Sixty years of certainty. Sixty years of sacrifice. Sixty years of service. He added: "If, as Gandhi asserted, 'the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others', then Your Majesty must have found yourself countless times over the past decades. You have dedicated yourself to others. The daily example that you set, mirrored by our courageous Armed Forces, of which you are commander-in-chief, is extraordinary. Yet perhaps Your Majesty's most profound contribution has been to the continuity that has made change manageable.