The Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday 3 June 2022, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. [1] [2]
The Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving was held at St Paul's Cathedral in London on Friday 3 June 2022, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. [1] [2]
The national service of thanksgiving included Bible readings, anthems, prayers and congregational hymns expressing thankfulness for the Queen's 70-year reign. The New Testament lesson, from the fourth chapter of St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, was read by Boris Johnson, [1] who, on his arrival, had been booed by the crowds. [3]
In his sermon, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, remarked that the Queen, a horse-lover, was "still in the saddle" after 70 years on the throne and thanked her for "staying the course". He praised her as an example of "staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faithfulness to God, an obedience to a vocation that is a bedrock of her life". [1] [2]
The combined choir of St Paul's and the Chapel Royal was directed by Andrew Carwood, and William Fox played the organ. Other musicians were the Band of the Royal Marines, Portsmouth and the Band of the Coldstream Guards, with state trumpters of the Household Cavalry and the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. [4] The service included a new anthem, By Wisdom, by Judith Weir, Master of the Queen's Music, with words from the third chapter of the Book of Proverbs. [5] Other choral music was the anthem I was glad by Hubert Parry, Psalm 24 with Anglican chant by Joseph Barnby, and the Benedicite by Francis Jackson. Congregational hymns were Christ is Made the Sure Foundation , Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise and Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken . Before and after the service, the Cathedral Guild of Bell Ringers rang Stedman Cinques. [4]
The service ended with a blessing given by the Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally, and the singing of the national anthem, God Save the Queen .
After the service, Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country at 16 tonnes, rang for four hours. [1] It was the first royal occasion for which it had been rung since its restoration in 2021. [6]
On 2 June, it was announced that the Queen would not be attending the service as she had experienced "some discomfort" while watching the Trooping of the Colour parade the previous day. [7] The Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been due to officiate, and the Duke of York also did not attend as they had tested positive for COVID-19. [2]
In addition to the members of the British royal family, senior politicians and members of the diplomatic corps listed below, the 2,000-strong congregation included 400 health workers, public servants and charity representatives, in recognition of their community service during the Queen's reign. [1] [2]
The service was notable as the first public engagement in the United Kingdom by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they stepped down as working royals in 2020. [1]
The Queen watched the service on television. [8]
Other descendants of the Queen's paternal grandfather King George V and their families:
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, and the youngest of the nine grandchildren of King George V and Queen Mary. He is currently 30th in the line of succession to the British throne, and the highest person on the list who is not a descendant of George VI, who was his uncle. At the time of his birth, he was 5th in line to the throne.
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone was a member of the British royal family. She is the longest-lived British princess of royal blood, and was the last surviving grandchild of Queen Victoria. Princess Alice was the chatelaine of Rideau Hall in Ottawa from 1940 until 1946, while her husband Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, served as Governor General of Canada.
Lady Louise Alice Elizabeth Mary Mountbatten-Windsor is the elder child and only daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. She is a granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest niece of King Charles III. She is 15th in the line of succession to the British throne as of 8 September 2022.
The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty.
James Alexander Philip Theo Mountbatten-Windsor, Earl of Wessex, styled Viscount Severn from his birth until 10 March 2023, is the younger child and only son of Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh. He is the youngest grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the youngest nephew of King Charles III. He is 14th in the line of succession to the British throne.
Queen Victoria, the British monarch from 1837 to 1901, and Prince Albert had 9 children, 42 grandchildren, and 87 great-grandchildren.
The Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria was officially celebrated on 22 June 1897 to mark the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. Queen Victoria was the first British monarch ever to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria was celebrated on 20 and 21 June 1887 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession on 20 June 1837. It was celebrated with a Thanksgiving Service at Westminster Abbey, and a banquet to which 50 European kings and princes were invited.
The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten took place on Thursday 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. The bride was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as well as the heir presumptive to the British throne. The groom was born a Greek and Danish prince; he stopped using these foreign titles on his adoption of British nationality four months before the announcement of their marriage and was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich on the morning of the wedding.
Dame Alcyion Cynthia Kiro is a New Zealand public-health academic, administrator, and advocate, who has served as the 22nd governor-general of New Zealand since 21 October 2021. Kiro is the first Māori woman, the third person of Māori descent, and the fourth woman to hold the office.
The state funeral of Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, occurred on 2 February 1901, after her death on 22 January. It was one of the largest gatherings of European royalty.
Jack Christopher Stamp Brooksbank is a member of the British royal family and an English bar manager and brand ambassador. He is the husband of Princess Eugenie, a niece of King Charles III.
The wedding of Princess Alexandra of Kent and The Honourable Angus Ogilvy took place on Wednesday, 24 April 1963 at Westminster Abbey. Princess Alexandra was the only daughter and second child of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, while Ogilvy was the second son and fifth child of the 12th Earl of Airlie and Lady Alexandra Coke.
The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was the first time that any monarch in British history celebrated a platinum jubilee, as is the case in the histories of the other Commonwealth realms.
On 9 April 2021, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-serving royal consort in history, died of old age at Windsor Castle at the age of 99, two months before his 100th birthday.
The 2022 Trooping the Colour ceremony was held on Thursday 2 June 2022, as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II. Over 1,400 parading soldiers, 200 horses and 400 musicians came together in the traditional parade to mark the Queen's Official Birthday, which usually takes place on the second Saturday of June. It was the final Birthday Parade to take place under the reign of Elizabeth II before her death on 8 September that year.