Thursday 15 September 2022
The King and the Princess Royal join the procession of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Monday. Princess Anne’s husband, Vice-Admiral Timothy Laurence, is behind them
The King and the Princess Royal join the procession of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, on…
KING CHARLES III toured the UK this week in advance of the late Queen’s funeral on Monday. He and the Queen Consort attended memorial services in cathedrals in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and were due to conclude their visits with a service in Llandaff Cathedral in Wales on Friday.
The tour was intended to solidify the new King’s promise to serve his subjects “wherever you may live in the United Kingdom”.
The thanksgiving service in St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on Monday was preceded by a procession down the Royal Mile of the late Queen’s coffin, followed on foot by her four children: the King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York, and the Earl of Wessex.
The service marked the end of a long association between St Giles’ and Queen Elizabeth II, which dated back to the earliest days of her reign. She first attended the cathedral as monarch in 1953 — just three weeks after her coronation — for a service of thanksgiving in which she was blessed by the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. She was also presented with the Honours of Scotland, informally known as the Scottish Crown Jewels.
The sovereign has no special status in the Church of Scotland, but the Queen had spoken frequently of her respect for the Kirk, saying that its “straightforward, practical Christianity” had “a special influence on my own faith”.
The current Moderator, the Rt Revd Dr Iain Greenshields, who had lunched with the Queen just days before her death at Balmoral, preached at the service. Her link with the Scottish church had been “deep and lasting”, he told the congregation.
“She was the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, but she worshipped in the Church of Scotland here north of the border, at Canongate Kirk and especially at Crathie Kirk where she took her pew each Sunday morning, prevented from doing so latterly only by infirmity. She perceived little difficulty in belonging to two Churches and appreciating the strength of each.”
He continued: “She has been present amongst us as a follower of Christ and a member of his Church. And for that and much else beside, we give thanks to God together here this day. Today we mourn her passing, but we also celebrate the long and happy reign that we experienced with her.
“And we pray God’s blessing upon King Charles, who will surely draw strength from his mother’s example and the many affectionate tributes of these days, and from our assurance to him as a Church of our steadfast prayers at all times and of our unstinting support to him as was offered to his mother, the Queen.”
The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Most Revd Mark Strange, who had read the Gospel and later blessed the crowds gathered along the Royal Mile, described it on Twitter as a “remarkable day”. “The privilege of reading the Gospel . . . was almost overwhelming . . . I feel blessed tonight.”
The King flew to Northern Ireland on Tuesday, meeting leaders from political parties and from all the major faiths.
Referencing his own family’s loss during the Troubles, and the Queen’s historic visits to Ireland in 2011 and to Northern Ireland in 2012, when she shook hands with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness, the King said: “My mother felt deeply, I know, the significance of the role she herself played in bringing together those who history had separated and extending a hand to make possible the healing of long-held hurts.
“Through all those years she never ceased to pray for the best of times for this place and its people, whose stories she knew, whose sorrows our family had felt, and for whom she had a great affection and regard.”
The King then attended a multi-denominational service of prayer and reflection in St Anne’s Cathedral, where he was joined again by the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, who is following him around the UK.
The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell, preached on the theme of reconciliation, which, he said, was the word “most associated with Queen Elizabeth in Ireland, north and south”.
“Who can doubt that the Holy Spirit of the God of Peace was present in the mind and in the heart of the late Queen, when she spoke her judicious and generous words, and walked the hard road of reconciliation, in this Province, and island? As a disciple of Jesus Christ, Queen Elizabeth followed where Jesus led as women often have in the elusive and unfinished work of reconciliation here in Ireland,” he said.
THE Archbishop of Canterbury has praised the “patient, humble, selfless” Christian service of the late Queen, as tributes poured in after her death on Thursday evening
Music was sung by the Priory Singers, a local choir. Earlier this year, the Cathedral announced that its profession choir was being disbanded from 1 September owing to financial difficulties (News, 10 August).
The Queen’s coffin was flown from Edinburgh to London on Tuesday evening, accompanied by Princess Anne, before being driven to Buckingham Palace. It was reportedly the late Queen’s wish that her daughter accompany her funeral cortege to London.
The Princess Royal released a statement on Tuesday evening, in which she said: “I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest mother’s life. It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys.”
The King is due to visit Wales on Friday, when he will attend a service in Llandaff Cathedral, as well as visit the Senedd and Cardiff Castle. The Cathedral has been closed all week in preparation for the service. It will be led by the acting Dean, the Ven. Michael Komor. The address and the blessing will be given by the Archbishop of Wales, the Rt Revd Andrew John.
The Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd June Osborne, will lead the prayers, which will also be read by representatives of other faith communities in Wales.
The choir will sing an anthem by the Welsh composer Paul Maelor with words by the poet Dr Grahame Davies, who was deputy private secretary to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
Archbishop John said: “The Church in Wales is honoured to host this service in which we remember the life and contribution of Queen Elizabeth II. We thank God for her devotion to the nation and commonwealth and how she exemplified selfless public service. As we mourn her passing, we pray for our new King and the royal family in their grief.”
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