25 May 2022 | St Albans, UK [David Neal]
It is Tuesday, 2 June 1953. A ceremony is taking place in the Westminster Abbey, London, a religious service which will include the biblical ritual of ‘anointing’ for The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll. Follow the scene at the height of this ceremony for a moment:
Archbishop:
Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?
Queen:
All this I promise to do.
Laying her right hand on the Bible:
The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.
Archbishop:
Our gracious Queen:
To keep your majesty ever mindful of the law and the gospel of God
As the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes,
we present you with this Book,
the most valuable thing that this world affords.
Moderator:
Here is Wisdom
This is the royal Law.
These are the lively Oracles of God. (1)
As the constitutional monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Elizabeth ll is required to be politically neutral about politics. Of her faith she is not and has kept true to the oath she made in 1953. Almost half a century later, at the time of the Millennium, she openly acknowledged to the nation, “For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.” (2)
A Personal – But Living Faith
It is a deeply personal and private faith due to national culture and religious tradition.
It is not in her nature to be ‘evangelical’ about what she believes in perhaps the way many Adventists would understand. While she warmly welcomed Billy Graham to London in 1956, she was said to be ‘intrigued’ in which he preached his firm fundamentalist convictions. While she could not attend his meetings, it is reported that they met on several occasions for private conversation, study, and prayer.
It would be a mistake to regard her lack of ‘evangelical’ activity to conclude that hers is not a living faith, because as is so often the case for the English, particularly of her generation, the preference is to demonstrate more in deed than word. For embedded deep in the national psyche is a feeling that discussing matters of faith cause more trouble than it is worth – therefore wisest to keep quiet until the time is right. But as the years go by, her Christmas message gets more overtly Christian, and the more difficult the year, the more she shapes a message of hope embedded in Christ.
As far as church attendance is concerned, it is non-negotiable (unless due to illness or infirmity). As the titular Head of the Church of England, example is important. Sermons are listened to with deference and respect for the preacher. Her late husband Prince Philip also listened intently but liked to ‘wrestle’ over matters with the clergyman or theologian concerned, not simply for the sake of debate, but because of the spiritual journey he was on. As is the case for many English men and women of his generation, faith and reason were often in conflict.
Constancy
In the forward to a recent book published by the Bible Society she says, “I have been – and remain – very grateful for your prayers and to God for his steadfast love.” The word ‘steadfast’ for this 96-year-old is more than significant, for while she may have a net worth of £370 million (according to the Sunday Times 2022 Rich List) her life has been and continues to be far from trouble-free. (3) If we were to list ‘her troubles and strife’ it would be noticeable that many are common to us all. Yet, her faith in and trust in God remains constant.
One of those troubles was during a time known as ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. In 1979 her second Cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten was murdered by the IRA, seen at the time as deep an attack on the British establishment as it could be. While ‘only a second cousin,’ Mountbatten was a much-loved and close family member to Elizabeth and Philip, and in particular a mentor to the then young Prince Charles. It was a loss the family mourned and felt deeply.
Peace and Reconciliation
Thirty-two years later, at the 2011 Irish State Banquet, she was able to open her speech on behalf of the people of Britain and Northern Ireland with the words in Gaelic “A Uachtaráin agus a chaired” (President and friends) to the gasps of many guests present. It was a key moment in the rebuilding of the relationship between the two countries and a vital moment in the Northern Ireland peace process. She went on to say, “With the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.” (4)
How could she say that? The words of a speech writer, or politician who told her what to say? We will never know, but there is not a doubt she could say those words with conviction, the foundation of which goes back to her faith.
“For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace… is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance, and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to respect and value people of whatever faith or none.” (5)
Enough said – and thanks be to God.
[Photos: Danny Lawson/PA and Jacob King/PA Wire/PA Images // CC BY 4.0]
- http://www.oremus.org/liturgy/coronation/index.html
- https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/11-february/comment/columnists/paul-vallely-for-seven-decades-the-queen-has-embodied-servant-leadership
- https://www.thetimes.co.uk/sunday-times-rich-list
- https://www.royal.uk/queens-speech-irish-state-dinner-18-may-2011
- From the Queen’s Christmas Message, 2014.
