Queen Elizabeth II is lying in state at Westminster Hall, as thousands queue for miles to pay their respects. This ancient custom will be observed for four days until just before the funeral service on Monday morning. The coffin was received in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster, including prayers, verses of scripture and choral music.
Seeing the Queen lying in state will stay with mourners for the rest of their lives
Some members of the public had queued for hours in pouring rain to walk past the coffin and pay their respects, a moment described as deeply emotional. The Mirror spoke to mourners who said that seeing the Queen lying in state was a “shattering experience” that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. They reported the atmosphere was tranquil with a lot of silence and many people becoming tearful.
Expect tradition in the Queen’s funeral service
The Sun has carried a feature on the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle, who took part in the ceremony today in Westminster Hall and will do so again for the Queen’s funeral on Monday, on both occasions with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. When asked about the funeral service, the Dean gave nothing away, except: “This is Westminster Abbey, this is Her Majesty the Queen, I think you can assume that you’re going to see tradition in action, living tradition in action.” The order of service will be published by Buckingham Palace on Sunday evening at 10.30 pm.
Queen Elizabeth’s “genuine friendship” to Jews and Judaism
The Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, writing in the Jewish Times, paid tribute to the Queen as an exemplary figurehead for the country: “Many Jewish organisations and charities recall with fondness the Queen’s genuine friendship towards Jews and Judaism. She reached out to our community with interest and warmth, amplifying our shared ideals and values. Through her patronage of the Council of Christians and Jews, the Queen recognised the crucial importance of dialogue and reconciliation”.
The Queen “was a defender of the Jewish community”
Also writing in Jewish News, Claudia Mendoza and Michelle Janes, co-chief executives of the Jewish Leadership Council, reflect on the late Queen’s relationship with the Jewish community: “A hugely important aspect of the Queen’s leadership for the Jewish community was the Queen’s faith and her respect for all faiths. She was a defender of the Jewish community made us feel welcome under her sovereignty. She was a patron for many charities, but her role as patron for our member organisation, Norwood, illustrates her dedication to some of the most vulnerable people in our community”.
Bishop of Leeds: the end of an era with an impact on the world
The Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, wrote in the Yorkshire Post that the Queen’s death marks the end of an era. The Queen has been admired and respected throughout the world and her death will have an impact “in ways we cannot yet fully comprehend or anticipate – not only on the United Kingdom, but also on the Commonwealth and the wider world beyond it”. He says at the heart of this love is the Queen’s total commitment to duty and service deeply rooted in her discipleship of Jesus Christ. He suggests her legacy might be the lesson of how her faith drove her commitments and priorities. “It was this commitment that allowed her to create wide space for everyone – of all faiths and none – to be free and to thrive”.
Bishop of Worcester: The Queen’s death connects with us at a profound level
The Bishop of Worcester, John Inge, writing in the Church Times, says the Queen “was a potent symbol of constancy and security amid the changes and chances of this life. Her passing is a sharp reminder that nothing in this life is constant or secure. Her death therefore connects with us at a profound level, bringing our own mortality home to us and resonating painfully with the losses of those we have loved”. He says the church can help those with feelings of anxiety and loss, by offering hope.
Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury: losing someone who was part of all our lives
The Roman Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury, Mark Davies, wrote a pastoral letter as the nation entered a week of mourning. “People can sometimes be unsure today how to respond to death and to the sudden shock which comes with the loss of someone who has always been part of our lives. The faith that we share in Christ’s cross and resurrection leads us to pray for those who have died…In this way our feelings of loss and grief are .. filled with Christian hope. This must always be our final duty of charity to everyone we have known in this life, and this must surely be our final duty to Queen Elizabeth II, to pray that she may rest in peace”.
Special services in memory of the Queen planned by all faiths
Hindus in Liverpool will hold a prayer and condolence meeting this Sunday to mark the death of the Queen. The meeting will be attended by the Lord-Lieutenant of Merseyside Mark Blundell and Lord Mayor of Liverpool Cllr Roy Gladden.
In Newcastle on Sunday, a multi-faith service will be held in memory of the Queen, led by the Hindu Chaplin to the Armed Forces of Great Britain Acharya Krishan Kant Attri MBE. The Chronicle reports that the Hindu Temple says the Queen oversaw “the transformation of British society into a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multifaith community”.
A mosque in Stockton, on Teesside, is lighting the outside of the building in colours of the Union Jack as a tribute to the life of the Queen. The Farooq E Azam Masij Mosque lights up after evening prayers every day and will continue to do so during the period of national mourning
The Church of England is suggesting special services are held at 1800 this Sunday, the day before the funeral, following an order of service produced nationally.
Is the constitutional monarchy a Jewish invention?
Historian Vernon Bogdanor, again in the Jewish News, wonders whether constitutional monarchy is a Jewish invention, where the monarch reigns but does not rule, with powers curtailed by Mosaic laws. “Over the past week, we have been reminded of the great advantage of constitutional monarchy, that it makes the transition from one head of state to another seamless. Charles III succeeded Elizabeth II immediately upon her death and there could be no dispute about the succession. The king can therefore represent the whole nation, rather than just a section of it… Our politicians symbolise the divisions in our society. The monarch by contrast symbolises our underlying unity and so contributes to that stability which Jews so value. The Times columnist, Daniel Finkelstein, declares that his grandmother, who had been in Stalin’s Gulag, used to say, “As long as the Queen is safe in Buckingham Palace, I’m safe in Hendon Central!”
Prediction of fall of Christian affiliation in America
The Pew Research Centre estimates that in America, the number of people identifying as Christians will fall to 35 per cent by 2070, while the number of people ticking the box “non-religion”, or “nones”, will rise to 52 per cent. Our annual lecture by Professor Linda Woodhead, on Tuesday 20 September, will consider similar trends in this country, what is meant by “non religion” and how are the census results to be interpreted when they are published in the autumn. Details see below or here >>
