In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow."

Woman of the faith

British monarchs, although they hold the titles "defender of the faith" and "supreme governor of the Church of England," are not necessarily believers themselves. But Elizabeth II was a monarch apart.

"To understand her relationship to faith, you have to distinguish between Queen Elizabeth II, sovereign and formal, and Elizabeth Windsor, whose personal faith was alive," explained Gavin Ashenden, a former Anglican priest who was the Queen's honorary chaplain from 2008-2017.

"The constitutional balance requires that the Queen not express personal opinions," said Ashenden, who became a Roman Catholic in 2019.

"So the fact that she spoke openly about her faith was not insignificant," he pointed out.

Behind closed doors, Elizabeth II was very religious.

"Everyone knows that the Queen said her prayers, read the Bible and went to church every week," said Matthew Dennison, another of her biographers.

Elizabeth II was very open towards Catholics, who had long been reviled in the United Kingdom and seen by Queen Victoria as a risk to the country's security.

"(Elizabeth) called Cardinal Basil Hume 'our cardinal' and was very affectionate with Cardinal Murphy O'Connor," said Dominican Father Timothy Radcliffe, former provincial of England and then Master of the Order of Preachers.

"She also appointed a Catholic as Lord Chamberlain, the first time since the Reformation!" he pointed out.

Queen Elizabeth met five popes during her long reign. The only ones who served during her lifetime whom she never met were Paul VI and John Paul I, who died just 33 days after becoming pope.

She provoked discontent among some Britons attached to state Anglicanism when she attended Catholic Vespers in Westminster Cathedral in 1995 for the church's 100th anniversary.

Pope Francis

Francis said he joins everyone who mourns her loss "in praying for the late Queen's eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth, her example of devotion to duty, her steadfast witness of faith in Jesus Christ and her firm hope in his promises."

"I willingly join all who mourn her loss in praying for the late Queen's eternal rest, and in paying tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the Nation and the Commonwealth," the Pope said.

Shortly after her death, Pope Francis sent a message to offer his condolences to King Charles III for the death of his mother, the UK's longest-serving monarch.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I offer heartfelt condolences to Your Majesty, the Members of the Royal Family, the People of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth."

Pope Francis also commended "her noble soul" to the mercy of God the Father.

"I assure Your Majesty of my prayers that Almighty God will sustain you with his unfailing grace as you now take up your high responsibilities as King. Upon you and all who cherish the memory of your late mother, I invoke an abundance of divine blessings as a pledge of comfort and strength in the Lord."

Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, paid tribute to her Christian faith and life of unstinting service.

"On 21 April 1947, on her twenty-first birthday, Princess Elizabeth said, ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service'.

"Now, seventy-five years later, we are heartbroken in our loss at her death, and so full of admiration for the unfailing way in which she fulfilled that declaration.

"Even in my sorrow, shared with so many around the world, I am filled with an immense sense of gratitude for the gift to the world that has been the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

"At this time, we pray for the repose of the soul of Her Majesty. We do so with confidence because the Christian faith marked every day of her life and activity.

"In her Millennium Christmas message, she said, ‘To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me, the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example.'

"This faith, so often and so eloquently proclaimed in her public messages, has been an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many. The wisdom, stability and service which she consistently embodied, often in circumstances of extreme difficulty, are a shining legacy and testament to her faith.

"Our prayer is that she is now received into the merciful presence of God, there to be reunited with her beloved Prince Philip. This is the promise of our faith, and our deep consolation.

"Queen Elizabeth II will remain, always, a shining light in our history. May she now rest in peace."

Elizabeth made 10 visits to New Zealand - seen here on the 1981 Royal tour.

Archbishop Justin Welby

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: "It is with profound sadness that I join the nation, the Commonwealth and the world in mourning the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen. My prayers are with The King and the Royal Family. May God draw near them and comfort them in the days, weeks and months ahead.

"As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation and society.

"As deep as our grief runs, even deeper is our gratitude for Her Late Majesty's extraordinary dedication to the United Kingdom, her Realms and the Commonwealth. Through times of war and hardship, through seasons of upheaval and change, and through moments of joy and celebration, we have been sustained by Her Late Majesty's faith in what and who we are called to be.

"In the darkest days of the Coronavirus pandemic, The Late Queen spoke powerfully of the light that no darkness can overcome. As she had done before, she reminded us of a deep truth about ourselves - we are a people of hope who care for one another. Even as The Late Queen mourned the loss of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, we saw once again evidence of her courage, resilience and instinct for putting the needs of others first - all signs of a deeply rooted Christian faith.

"As we sustain one another in the face of this challenge, our shared grieving will also be a work of shared reimagining. I pray that we commence this journey with a sense of Her Late Majesty's faith and confidence in the future.

"As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life - hour by hour, day by day.

"In The Late Queen's life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and - through patient, humble, selfless service - share it as a gift to others.

"Her Late Majesty found great joy and fulfilment in the service of her people and her God, ‘whose service is perfect freedom' (BCP). For giving her whole life to us, and allowing her life of service to be an instrument of God's peace among us, we owe her a debt of gratitude beyond measure.

"The Late Queen leaves behind a truly extraordinary legacy: one that is found in almost every corner of our national life, as well as the lives of so many nations around the world, and especially in the Commonwealth.

"It was my great privilege to meet Her Late Majesty on many occasions. Her clarity of thinking, capacity for careful listening, inquiring mind, humour, remarkable memory and extraordinary kindness invariably left me conscious of the blessing that she has been to us all.

"In my prayers at this time I also give thanks for the marriage of The Late Queen and His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip. Theirs was an inspirational example of Christian marriage - rooted in friendship, nourished by shared faith, and turned outwards in service to others."

Cardinal Arthur Roche

In Rome, UK Cardinal, Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, said Queen Elizabeth "not only dedicated herself unstintingly to serve her people, but also entrusted this to God's protection.

"Her Christian faith, expressed so often in her annual Christmas messages and elsewhere, were moments of outstanding witness to her faith, the Gospel and the values of the common good, family life, peace and concord among peoples.

"Her graciousness and common touch, her statesmanship and love for her people in the many countries, cultures and religions of the Commonwealth have witnessed an unbroken and unique bond of dedication to the service of others. She has been greatly loved by all."

Source

• Reuters
• Vatican News
• The Tablet
• La Croix International

Officers from a 12-member police team stationed outside St John's Cathedral in central Hong Kong on the evening of 25 September captured video footage of churchgoers as they left the church premises, Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) reported on 27 September.

The measure was taken for the "public safety" of citizens, according to the Hong Kong police's media relations team, admitting people were filmed.

The team stated that it had deployed "appropriate manpower to maintain public order and ensure public safety".

Police officials also stated that officers "undertake filming … for internal review to continuously improve the management of and response to public events".

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With the exception, of course, of the British monarchy.

Evidence of such mastery of panoply and sacred theatre has been in abundance these past weeks, culminating with the funeral of the Queen.

And there will be more to come with the formal coronation of Charles at some future date.

There is another parallel between the Vatican and the British Crown that is both arrestingly relevant and wildly provocative at the moment, and that is canonisation or sainting.

The world watched the requiem for Pope John Paul II and marvelled at the breadth of his popularity.

That popularity rose to fever-pitch as his coffin was led from the Piazza di San Pietro into the Basilica when calls erupted from the huge crowd for "santo subito" - to proclaim him a saint immediately by way of acclamation.

It didn't quite happen that way, but the saint-makers in the Vatican took note.

The situation isn't exactly the same at the Queen's funeral, although the emotional intensity, the feeling of loss and the impulse to veneration, are easily comparable to that accorded John Paul II.

The sainting of the Queen is not outside the realm of possibility.

Queen Elizabeth was Supreme Governor of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith - a key fixture in the religious establishment of the land.

She knows what it is to be an Anglican.

And Anglicanism does have a place for saints, although its history regarding "saint craft" and relics is a fraught one.

As always, Anglicanism found the middle road between an outright abhorrence of anything to do with saints on the one hand and a replication of the Roman system of invoking saints on the other.

It created its own criteria: Miracles would not be a requirement, a complex sainting process would not be necessary, and honouring the saints would be a devotional option without the force of law and tradition.

A casual glance at the names included in the Anglican Common Worship Calendar of 2000 reveals an inclusive mosaic of holy ones - those in the words of Anglican scholar Kathleen Jones "whose lives had the merit of personalising theology - bringing the great issues of Christian living down to the human level, and providing models for others to follow."

Queen Elizabeth certainly fulfils that rubric.

The problem with sainting is the general public misperception about what holiness actually means.

Elevation to a status of perfection it is not.

Rather, it connotes personal integration, authenticity and integrity. It means placing the needs of others and the demands of office above one's own preferences and priorities, and in the Christian tradition, it means, as the Queen herself said in her Christmas 2000 address: "For me, the teachings of Christ, and my own personal accountability before God, provide a framework in which I try to live my life."

Her vocation as Queen requires sacrifice, and sacrifice is duty lived fully and unrelentingly.

As a Globe editorial phrased it: "In a world of charlatans and fakers and self-actualising hypocrites...she was the real deal."

To be the "real deal" is a mark of her exceptionality as a human being, a sign of her "heroicity of virtue" as the Roman Catholic saint-trackers dub it. It means that your life as a witness to the truths and commitments that define you is a life of unwavering fidelity. Continue reading

• Michael W. Higgins is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at St. Michael's College. He wrote and narrated the CBC Ideas series Stalking the Holy: the Politics of Saint-making.

The walk of hope was a simple street crossing: from the Protestant St Macartin's Cathedral to the Catholic St Michael's Church. It was an uncomplicated act with powerful symbolism.

It was also the first time she had stepped inside a catholic church in Ireland.

Those few steps were seen as a giant stride towards reconciliation in a town that had been devastated by the 1987 Remembrance Day bombing. It has been described as an uncomplicated act with powerful symbolism.

"She didn't have to say words, just her actions spoke louder than words by actually crossing the street," say the Dean of St Macartin's, the Very Rev Kenneth Hall and Monsignor Peter O'Reilly of St Michael's. They had been hosting her that day-

The following day, the Queen shook hands with the then Sinn Féin deputy first minister and former IRA leader Martin McGuinness in another iconic gesture of goodwill.

"I think we did know the significance of what she did (with that simple but important gesture", Hall said later.

The next year, the two churchmen were invited to Buckingham Palace where the Queen was keen to hear what progress had been made.

"We had to file past the Queen and she looked at the both of us ...and said 'Are you two still working together?' Of course we were," Dean Hall recounted.

"We had a private audience with her just a short space of time afterwards, probably for about five or six minutes.

"I remember she asked us that very bold question, she looked over the glasses and she asked us, 'What are you doing to further reconciliation work in Enniskillen?'"

Monsignor O'Reilly added: "It was a bit like your grandmother asking you have you done your homework, it was as direct as that".

Hall says in 2014, when we met the Prince (now King) Charles III, he told us to ‘keep it up'.

On Sunday - 10 years later - the two churches came together again. They held a joint Service of Prayer and Reflection to pay tribute to the Queen's life.

Those attending recreated the Queen's short journey by also crossing the street between the two churches.

"Everything the Queen did was rooted in her faith," Hall says.

"She had a deep witness to Christian faith, and out of that sprung her love of country, her devotion to God and her desire for reconciliation."

Hall called Sunday's joint Catholic-Anglican service as a "continuation" of the events in 2012.

O'Reilly agrees. "The service is to look back, but there is a sense that by literally doing the walking ourselves, we are signifying that we have to keep doing the work.

"Sunday will give expression to the challenge the Queen gave us to keep working together."

Source

• Belfast Telegraph
• BBC

More than the pope — her reign saw seven of them — she was a constant presence in Christian life in Britain, at Church and in prayer.

She showed by example, leading ceremonies of national remembrance and addressing the nation and the Commonwealth at Christmas.

We all also knew her to be a regular churchgoer.

Her death leaves an enormous void for believers everywhere.

The optics of her position were wealth and glamour, but the philosophy which underpinned her approach to monarchy was a very quiet Christian humility.

In this, she was rather more like Pope Francis — that other great Christian figurehead of our time — than casual observers have imagined.

"For me", Queen Elizabeth said in her 2014 Christmas message, "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."

Aged 21, she made this highly personal and very Christian commitment on radio: "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service."

Sadly, she was called to make this promise good just five years later when her father, King George VI, died an untimely and much-lamented death.

Queen Elizabeth personified Christian virtue for the next seven decades.

She was constant; she was reliable; she was indefatigable, unstuffy, unshowy, and uncomplaining. She never demanded gratitude but toiled on regardless.

And she displayed an intense commitment to God, which inspired her to find ways to embody values cherished by the British people.

She would not abdicate because she believed such an act would have violated her oath to a Higher Power.

She was queen for life because she had been anointed.

Her forbearance in the face of failing health and old age has therefore been one of the past decade's most visible outward signs of unwavering Christian faith.

Queen Elizabeth's crown may not have been one of thorns, but its burden was nevertheless still barbed and weighty.

A thousand photographers waited in earnest for a sign of annoyance, exasperation, arrogance, vanity, or aloofness. And yet, in years and years and years, none came.

The Queen was true to her word and was loved and admired for it.

Even at the end, she was still at her dutiful best, pushing past her obvious frailty on Tuesday to meet with politicians to arrange a change of British government.

She never complained; she never explained.

Her ethic was of the kind often referred to as Stoic — and Christianity certainly absorbed aspects of it from Greek philosophy. But this was also the ethic present in Christ's Passion.

Queen Elizabeth's life became its own very modern sort of Passion play, in which one person was identified with the sins of a nation.

Britain's Original Sin has come to be seen as that of Empire, a formation of which Her Majesty had begun her reign as public face.

Yet she bore the opprobrium that her nation's imperial legacy attracted with grace and humour.

More importantly, still, she sought to construct something positive from the embers of exploitation.

The Commonwealth will surely be her lasting legacy — a global fellowship in parallel with the Anglican communion, which unites peoples of many backgrounds and many faiths through a common desire to do good.

Queen Elizabeth's death can be a moment for all of us — Christians and non-Christians alike — to take stock of our quarrels, to pause them, and to unite in grief and mourning as we are reminded of inexorability.

Today we are often encouraged to express our feelings freely, to wear our hearts upon our sleeves, à la Prince Harry.

And so Queen Elizabeth's unsentimental brand of silent public virtue has, by contrast, come to seem a touch quaint, limiting, and outdated.

Yet the moment of her death affords an opportunity not only to give thanks for her steadfastness but also to reflect on its qualities as a model for our own lives.

Quiet Christianity helped Queen Elizabeth win over many critics, even those who were opposed to her ideologically. Her obvious tolerance and moderation brought out those same impulses in others.

It is a painful irony that her Anglican Communion itself is going through such public convulsions occasioned by an inability to chart the tolerant, moderate paths which she championed.

As a Briton, and as a historian, I felt an unfamiliar unease as the news unfolded.

For me, as for most of my fellow countrymen, this is uncharted territory: a time without our great national leader, the only monarch we have ever known. Something has changed forever.

Queen Elizabeth's response to such a crisis would surely have been to turn to Jesus — but to do so calmly, softly, and unobtrusively.

We must place our faith in him to deliver us from evil now that she is gone, following her lead for how that is done.

Rest in Peace, Your Majesty. God Save the King.

• Miles Pattenden is Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Religion and Critical Inquiry at Australian Catholic University, and Visiting Fellow in the Humanities Research Centre at Australian National University.
• First published by the ABC. Republished with permission.

Archbishop of Armagh John McDowell was speaking during a service of reflection for the life of Queen Elizabeth II in which prayers were said to celebrate "her life and work for this country and for the Commonwealth, and to give thanks for all she has been as Queen and, as such, head of state for the people of Northern Ireland".

He told King Charles III and the Queen Consort, who attended the service at St Anne's Cathedral in Belfast, that "faithfulness, care, dutifulness, love and devotion" were all part of her long reign.

The Archbishop said: "All of these could be employed to describe her relationship with Northern Ireland, with patience binding them all together, but paying attention, especially to what she said most recently, the word which I think will be most associated with Queen Elizabeth and Ireland, north and south, is reconciliation."

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For the first time in a century, a reigning British monarch set foot in what is now the Republic of Ireland but for centuries had been the impoverished vassal of its English overlords.

The royal visit marked the full realization of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, the international agreement between the British and Irish governments that restored home rule to Northern Ireland and brought an end to decades of bloody conflict.

For Queen Elizabeth II, the visit marked another milestone.

After nearly 60 years on the throne and millions of miles travelled, she had never visited the Republic of Ireland.

Yet she was determined to make the trip, motivated in large part by her sense of Christian duty to reconcile the estranged, to be a healer of the breach.

"God sent into the world a unique person—neither a philosopher nor a general (important though they are)—but a Saviour, with the power to forgive," she said in her Christmas broadcast that year.

"Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships, and can reconcile divided communities. It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God's love."

Forgiveness, of course, is much more than a feeling.

It is a series of small, often painful acts that culminate in a conversion of hearts that creates the very possibility of peace.

Queen Elizabeth II put forgiveness into action.

"With the benefit of historical hindsight, we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all," she said at the state dinner hosted by the Irish president, Mary McAleese.

"To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past, I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy."

That sympathy runs deep, for the queen's visit to the republic was not just a moment of reconciliation between two long-estranged peoples, but her personal act of forgiveness.

When Lord Louis Mountbatten was killed by agents of the Irish Republican Army in the summer of 1979, the queen suffered the loss of one of the most beloved members of her family, the uncle of her husband and the godfather of her first son.

It was a truly extraordinary moment, therefore, when she laid a wreath at a memorial garden in Dublin dedicated to the memory of "all those who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom."

She had somehow found the courage within her to forgive, to rebuild, to begin anew.

It is from numberless such personal acts of courage and charity that peace has, at last, come to Ireland.

As important as big international agreements are, they are not the true stuff of reconciliation. Peace happens when hearts meet. Continue reading

• This column appeared in the April 18, 2016, issue of America.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" urges Americans to look out for the flag that waves over "the land of the free and the home of the brave." "La Marseillaise," the anthem of republican France, calls its citizens to arms. But the UK's national anthem is a prayer, urging God to "save" — grant long life to — the queen.

It's a clear sign that in Britain, the head of state, the country and faith are inextricably linked.

This week "God Save the Queen" has been ringing out across Britain as the country has marked the 70th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II, the longest-serving English monarch.

When Elizabeth came to the throne in 1952, Britain was still being rebuilt after the end of World War II and its heavy bombing campaigns; Winston Churchill was prime minister and the country still had an empire.

The young queen's coronation suggested a new era — as the millions of television sets purchased to watch the live broadcast of the ceremony from London's Westminster Abbey signaled.

But the coronation itself was steeped in tradition and confirmed the continuing intertwining of the monarchy and religion.

The ceremony can be traced back more than 1,000 years and involves the anointing of the monarch who commits his or herself to a life of service to God and the people through sacred promises.

One of those, to uphold the Protestant religion, is also a reminder of the religious divisions of the past.

The queen's two titles of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, given to her at her accession, also owe their existence to Reformation history.

Defender of the Faith was first bestowed on Henry VIII by a grateful pope for the English king's rebuttal of the teachings of Martin Luther, a title that Henry defiantly held onto even after breaking with Rome to found the Church of England. He made himself head, while his daughter, the first Elizabeth, called herself Supreme Governor of the Church of England, saying Jesus Christ was its head.

Today, the role of Supreme Governor indicates the British monarch retains a constitutional role regarding the established Church of England but does not govern or manage it.

The modern Elizabeth has left that to the bishops, although she addresses general synods and has a role as a listener and guide to her primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

But while Defender of the Faith has been over the years an inherited title and little more, Elizabeth II appears to have embraced it and made it her own, speaking out very openly in recent years about her own Christian faith and explaining how it has provided the framework of her life.

She has done this mostly through the medium of her annual Christmas message, a tradition begun by her grandfather, George V, in 1932, and continued by her father, George VI.

Her early Christmas Day broadcasts were platitudinous — the holidays as an occasion for family was a frequent theme.

In 2000, however, she spoke of the Millennium as the 2,000-year anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, "who was destined to change the course of our history."

She went on to speak very personally and frankly about her faith: "For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ's words and example."

Similar sentiments have been aired at Christmas ever since.

God did get significant mention along the way.

In 1947, when she was 21 and six years from becoming queen, Elizabeth broadcast a public commitment, saying: "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service … God help me to make good my vow."

As she planned her coronation with dress fittings, selecting music and getting the crown jewels from their display in the Tower of London, there were also sessions with then-Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher, who provided her with a book of special prayers — a volume she keeps to this day among her most treasured possessions.

The spiritual foundations of the British monarchy are to be found in Scripture's ideas about humility and wisdom being the great virtues of kings. Then there are the Gospels, with accounts of Jesus, the servant king, who has come to serve others.

Key passages on this theme, from the Gospels of John and Matthew, are read at a Maundy Thursday service where the queen distributes gifts to elderly people, an ancient ceremony meant to imitate Christ serving his disciples by washing their feet.

The queen also leads the nation at regular services honouring the war dead, or offering thanksgiving for her jubilees, but worship is not, for her, only a public show. She has attended church regularly throughout her life and is said to have an uncomplicated, Bible and prayer-book based faith.

That love of the Bible was something she shared with the American evangelist Billy Graham, whom she invited to preach for her on several occasions (though the close friendship the Netflix series "The Crown" suggested between them seems far-fetched).

She relies on the deans of Windsor — the clerics who run St George's Chapel, at Windsor Castle, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married — for spiritual solace.

Her husband, the late Duke of Edinburgh, and her son, Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, always displayed a more intellectual curiosity about religion, including a great interest in both other Christian denominations and other faiths.

Over the years, as Britain has become increasingly diverse, Elizabeth has expressed an increasing openness as well.

She has encouraged members of all faiths to be present at great church occasions during her reign and in the annual Commonwealth Day service held at Westminster Abbey.

She regularly meets different faith leaders, including five popes — a remarkable turnaround for a monarchy that once broke so spectacularly from Rome — though she has not gone so far as to ask other religious leaders to play any sort of role for her, such as be a chaplain.

There has been talk of disestablishment of the Church of England, even in Anglican circles, with some concern it privileges one religious group above others in an increasingly diverse nation.

Disestablishment would unravel the connection between the monarch, the Church of England and the state, which survives in Britain since the time of the Reformation.

Change would mean the removal of Church of England bishops from the House of Lords, although there has been little call for this from other faiths. Rather, they prefer representation of faith at the highest levels of the British Parliament.

But that issue of privileging seemed apparent when the queen spoke at Lambeth Palace in 2012, suggesting the Church of England might act as a sort of umbrella under which other faiths might shelter, by saying Anglicanism "has a duty to protect the free practice of all other faiths in this country."

The importance of other faiths was expressed Friday morning at the Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, in London, where not only leaders of Christian denominations but of other faiths were present, including Buddhists and Jews.

One major difference at today's thanksgiving service compared to previous ones for her reign's major anniversaries was the frequent references to looking after God's creation.

In the twilight years of her reign, she is coming to share Prince Charles' interest in the environment, but placing it firmly within her Christian concerns.

Attention is inevitably turning now to the next reign, with speculation about how much of an Anglican ceremony the next coronation will be.

The Church of England will undoubtedly take the lead, but just as Princess Diana's Westminster Abbey funeral combined tradition and innovation, as Commonwealth Day services have done for years, the next coronation will most likely offer that blend, too.

Charles once said he would become Defender of Faith, rather than Defender of the Faith, expressing concern that he needed to recognize the changing religious nature of Britain.

He has since retracted this, indicating he will adopt the traditional title.

Even so, he has engaged frequently with other faiths, particularly Judaism and Islam.

His interest in Islam has in part been aesthetic, with a particular appreciation for Islamic art and architecture, but he has also commented on its metaphysical, holistic view of the world and humanity's place in it, even as he has also expressed concerns about the radicalization of young people.

While this interest in Islam and an awareness of the growing population of Muslims in Britain has led to his support for Islamic organizations, such as the Centre for Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford, in more recent years he has reined back on it a little and instead become far more outspoken about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

The Prince of Wales has undoubtedly been innovative in his work, creating charities that work with young people, and championing the environment. But he likes tradition, too, be it church music or the Book of Common Prayer.

All signs are that his coronation will be like the man, with an innovative sheen on ancient tradition and a sincere regard for faith in diverse Britain.

• Catherine Pepinster is the author of "Defenders of the Faith - the British Monarchy, Religion and the Next Coronation," published by Hodder and Stoughton.
• First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

By walking from the Protestant cathedral to the Roman Catholic one in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Her Majesty set a standard for others to follow.

Viscount Brookeborough, Lord Lieutenant of County Fermanagh, said: "This, when she crossed the street, was a turning point for the people of the town and the county."

"It seriously made it acceptable for both communities to go into each other's churches," he added.

It was no coincidence that this act of reconciliation took place in Enniskillen, scene of one of the worst IRA atrocities, the Poppy Day bombing.

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His comments refer to Andrew's fall from grace following accusations of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre two decades ago when she was 17.

Although he did not admit wrongdoing, the Queen's son paid an undisclosed sum earlier this year to Giuffre.

In comments to ITV News, Welby said "Forgiveness really does matter. I think we have become a very, very unforgiving society.

"There's a difference between consequences and forgiveness. I think for all of us, one of the ways that we celebrate when we come together is in learning to be a more open and forgiving society.

"Now with Prince Andrew, I think we all have to step back a bit. He's seeking to make amends and I think that's a very good thing.

"You can't tell people how to respond about this. The issues of the past in the area of abuse are so intensely personal and private for so many people, it's not surprising there are very deep feelings indeed."

Welby - who is the Church of England's most senior bishop - also spoke of the divide emerging between Prince William and Prince Harry, who has distanced himself from the royal family by moving to the US with his wife Megan.

"Of course, it's sad when families are struggling, but what family isn't?" he asked.

"I think if there's any family where the relationships are perfect, they're entitled to judge, but I'm not going to."

The sensitivity around Andrew's case prompted Welby's office to issue a clarification after his ITV interview was aired.

Welby clarified - "In tonight's interview with ITV News I was asked a question about forgiveness, and I said that there is a difference between consequences and forgiveness.

"Both are essential elements of the Christian understanding of justice, mercy and reconciliation. I also made the broader point that I hope we can become a more forgiving society.

"These are complex issues that are difficult to address in a short media interview and I hope they do not distract from this week's joyful celebration of Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee."

Earlier this year, the royal family removed Andrew's military links and said he would no longer be known as "His Royal Highness".

Andrew is not expected to appear when the royal family gather to wave at crowds from the palace balcony on Thursday as part of celebrations to mark the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

Source

• Sydney Morning Herald

Cassidy Caron (pictured) says residential school survivors told her that an apology from the Queen would be important since she is the leader of the Anglican Church and Canada's head of state. They also suggested the Queen should pay reparations to survivors.

The school system was created to isolate indigenous children from the influence of their own native culture and religion, to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture.

Caron's call comes a month after Pope Francis apologised at the Vatican to survivors and indigenous delegates for the Catholic Church's role in residential schools.

"There's so much healing that is needed," Caron said.

"We need basic human necessities in our communities and it stems from colonisation. It stems from assimilation - and some financial reparations are absolutely helpful in helping us move forward."

Caron says she will make the request to Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, at a reception with them at Rideau Hall on Wednesday.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are to visit Canada this week for a three-day tour that is to focus partly on indigenous reconciliation.

Mary Simon, Canada's first indigenous Governor General, called the visit a chance to "showcase the evolution of our country, our diverse and inclusive society, as well as the resilience of indigenous communities."

Many First Nations signed treaties with the Crown that made promises — such as pledges to share resources — that the Crown later violated.

"The Queen is also a treaty member and she has an obligation to live up to the agreement," said Paul Andrew, who survived the notorious residential school Grollier Hall in Inuvik, North West Territories.

"Through reconciliation, they can right the wrongs."

The Archbishop of Canterbury recently apologised in Canada for the Anglican Church's role in residential schools.

"I am sorry that the church belittled your spirituality, denigrated and undermined your culture and tradition, and above all your language," Justin Welby said in Saskatoon.

After witnessing the apology, Brian Hardlotte, grand chief of the Prince Albert Grand Council, said the Queen should complete the apology for the Anglican Church.

"That's something that I would personally, as a leader and a survivor, would like to see," he said.

Some 150,000 indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools - of which he Anglican Church ran about three dozen.

Sources

CBC News

Everything GP

Before the address, the Earl of Wessex said the monarch sent her "sincere and deep apologies that she cannot be here today".

"I think you probably understand why, and she regrets that deeply," he added.

He then said on his mother's behalf: "It is hard to believe that it is over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first meeting of the General Synod.

"None of us can slow the passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and his teachings."

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Although the British 2013 Succession to the Crown Act allows heirs to the throne to marry Catholics, the law also says the acting British sovereign cannot be a Catholic. This is because the British monarch is also the head of the Church of England.

Catholics have been barred from the English throne since the Act of Settlement 1701.

Alexandra's place in the British line of succession came through her father's family, who are descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's eldest child, Victoria.

Like her father, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, 19-year old Alexandra was originally baptised into the Lutheran church.

In changing her religion, Alexandra will be joining her mother, Princess Caroline of Monaco, who was brought up as a Catholic by her parents, Prince Ranier and Princess Grace (formerly Grace Kelly) of Monaco.

When they decided to marry in 1999, Caroline's Catholic faith meant her husband, Ernst August, had to ask Queen Elizabeth II for permission, because the British monarch (a title Ernst August or his descendants could potentially inherit) is head of the Church of England.

On 11 January 1999, the Queen issued the following Declaration in Council:

"My Lords, I hereby declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between His Royal Highness Prince Ernst August Albert of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Monaco ..."

Without the Queen's consent he would have been removed from the line until the Succession to the Crown Act 1999 came into force in 2015.

Alexandra is also 12th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

Source

• Metro
• Marie Claire
• The Tablet
• Image: hola.com

His letter was sent to celebrate the Queen becoming the longest reigning monarch in British history. Read more

His message, conveyed in a letter to Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her becoming the longest reigning monarch.

The Cardinal wrote in the name of Catholics across the world, and especially in the Commonwealth.

He told Her Majesty that Catholics join our prayers of thanksgiving to those of other Christians for the many blessings of her reign.

In a message released Wednesday, Cardinal Nichols said the Queen has been "unstinting' in her vocation.

"Your vocation as our Queen has been unstinting over these years.

"The burden of high office fell upon your shoulders at a young age, and yet through the many and varied circumstances of your reign, you have held integrity of service as a high standard and as an exemplar for other heads of state and leaders of nations.

"We give thanks too for the constant support that Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has shown you in your time as our Queen; his role as Prince Consort being a source of strength and stay.

"We thank you too, for your steadfast insistence on the great importance of our Christian faith, given in both word and example, alongside your appreciation of the contribution made by other religions in our rich and diverse society today.

"Our hope is that, enriched by the presence of many beliefs and cultures, our country will always maintain respect for our Christian heritage and the sure foundations that it provides for a flourishing of true human fulfilment. "

The Gospel of Jesus, which we seek to serve, is a challenge to our society to think more deeply about the sanctity of life, the constant need for forgiveness and reconciliation, and the faithfulness required in love and the self-sacrifice which brings true satisfaction."

Cardinal Nichols promised the prayers of all the Catholic communities of England and Wales and concluded asking God to grant Queen Elizabeth every blessing now and in the years to come.

Sources:

• Catholic Herald
• Image: TV3

In a message Benedict said the British monarch has over the past 60 years been an "inspiring example of dedication to duty and a commitment to maintaining the principles of freedom, justice and democracy".

He also said she has played an important role in improving ecumenical and interreligious relations.

The letter, read out at a service of Thanksgiving in Rome, said: "I write to offer my warmest congratulations to Your Majesty on the happy occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of your reign. During the past 60 years you have offered to your subjects and to the whole world an inspiring example of dedication to duty and a commitment to maintaining the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, in keeping with a noble vision of the role of a Christian monarch.

"I retain warm memories of the gracious welcome accorded to me by Your Majesty at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh at the beginning of my Apostolic Visit to the United Kingdom in September 2010, and I renew my thanks for the hospitality that I received throughout those four days. Your personal commitment to cooperation and mutual respect between the followers of different religious traditions has contributed in no small measure to improving ecumenical and interreligious relations throughout your realms.

"Commending Your Majesty and all the Royal Family to the protection of Almighty God, I renew my heartfelt good wishes on this joyful occasion and I assure you of my prayers for your continuing health and prosperity."

Source

• Vatican Radio
• Image: The write side of my brain

Gillian Bouras writes of her memories of when Elizabeth II became queen, reflects on her reign, and says that "conscientiousness and devotion to duty now seem to be outmoded virtues. But many people my age, despite our political affiliations and persuasions, admire them still."

• Read Gillian Bouras' article
• Image: Mirror News