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On her 21st birthday, the future Queen Elizabeth promised to serve God, Britain and the Commonwealth of Nations – representing more than a third of earth’s population – until her dying breath. Two days before passing into glory, Queen Elizabeth II was living out that vow as she invited the new prime minister to form a government in her name. The Queen served until the end. It is as if the Queen had internalised the truth of Colossians 3:17 and 3:23-24. Yes, we can ‘do whatever we do for God’ whoever we are: slave or free, rich or poor, British-born or new immigrant. Her Majesty The Queen has rightly been globally praised for doing an outstanding job since she came to the throne at the age of 25. And for 70 years she’s done her work as Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England with amazing diligence, great grace, astute intelligence, deep humility, and tremendous effectiveness. That was the prayer request made by Queen Elizabeth II in her first Christmas broadcast in 1952. Her father, King George VI, had died on 6 February 1952. Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh were in Kenya as she acceded to the throne. She was crowned Queen 18 months later on 2 June 1953 at Westminster Abbey, London. It's not very difficult to apply that story to our own times and to work out that our neighbours are those of our friends, or complete strangers, who need a helping hand. Do you think they might also be some of the living species threatened by spoiled rivers, or some of the children in places like Ethiopia and Sudan who don't have enough to eat? … it would be splendid to think that in the last years of the twentieth century Christ's message about loving our neighbours as ourselves might at last be heeded.’
The Queen also spoke about the situation in the Middle East, noting that the world is now experiencing “terrible suffering on an unprecedented scale”. In the context of Britain’s imperial past, this is a remarkable vision. It is not a vision of military superiority, economic dominance, ideological hegemony, creative brilliance, or sporting excellence, but of moral example. It is a vision designed not to inspire envy or fear but to encourage generosity, justice, kindness, and ‘uprightness’. It is made all the more remarkable by the historical context. She was, after all, the granddaughter of a king who had ruled over a quarter of the planet. The British government still saw itself as a significant player on the world stage, and over 70 territories were under its colonial rule. Yet there is not a smidgen of nostalgia for the empire, not a whiff of the triumphalist bluster about Britain being a ‘world beater’ that characterises current political rhetoric. For Elizabeth, what has mattered most is to be an encouragement to ‘upright’ people. Of course, there is so much we don’t know about the Queen’s faith, but what we can see is this: it’s rich, it’s alive, it’s constant, it’s prayerful, it’s biblical, and it’s Christ-centred. It’s shaped her imagination and it’s enabled her to model gracious excellence in arguably the most public role in the world for over 70 years. And that faith, that living trust in Christ, has impelled her to give the credit to the Saviour whose servant heart and servant example she has sought to emulate in everything she does. The theme of service runs throughout the coronation and, during the Queen’s long reign, she has been inspired by the sacrificial life of Jesus Christ, who said of himself: he ‘did not come to be served, but to serve’. ‘For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.’
As we’ve seen, the Queen’s understanding of her role is deeply shaped by the Jesus of the Bible. It’s not surprising, then, that her vision for the nation and her vision for her people find their roots in a biblical understanding of national purpose and civic service.
Icon, matriarch, reformer, and the longest-reigning monarch in British history - Queen Elizabeth II intrigues millions around the world with her royal heritage, inspirational character, and profound faith, especially as depicted in award-winning films such as The Queen and the wildly popular Netflix series The Crown. Her Majesty the Queen of England is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and by default a Christian or at least it is assumed. The Queen has found it necessary to make her faith public. Why is this public affirmation of her christian faith significant? She has seen it all, power, glory, wealth, through her 90 years of life and at the peak of her reign and life, she can attest to the fact that what is important in life is the faith that has sustained and influenced her life, faith in the one true God. That reminds me of another great and powerful king in history, King Solomon, who after seeing all the unmatched wealth, power and glory, pointed out: The Queen was crowned in a deeply symbolic church service devised in AD 973 and including prayers and a service of Holy Communion. The orb, sceptre, ring and crown used in the ceremony each include a cross to symbolise the rule of Jesus Christ over the world. Even though the crown jewels are set with many of the world’s most valuable gems, a Bible is presented during the coronation and described as ‘the most valuable thing that this world affords’.In sum, one of the reasons the Queen follows Christ is because he so clearly and consistently practices what he preaches. In him, word and deed match perfectly. He calls us to do the same. And so, in her speeches to the nation, the Queen echoes his call, encouraging every person to see that they have both a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to the national good. In the middle of her reign, the Queen had plenty of other members of the royal family to depend on to help out with this considerable philanthropic version of monarchy. But in these twilight years of her reign, ‘the Firm’ is much smaller. No Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Diana or Prince Philip. Harry, Meghan and Andrew have stepped down and the dependable Kents, Gloucesters and Princess Alexandra are all elderly too. It is an idea that belongs to neither the left nor the right. It is rooted in the Queen’s understanding of God’s concern for all human beings, of the example of ‘the child who was born at Christmas with a love that came to embrace the whole world’ (1995). And it is underpinned by the Queen’s biblical understanding of the equality of all human beings under God, and of the calling of all Christians to seek to love all people. As well as talking about her faith and attending church services in an official capacity, the Queen worships privately each Sunday and relies on the prayers of her people. In 1992, in a speech to mark the 40th anniversary of her accession, she thanked all those who had prayed for her and said that those prayers ‘sustained me through all these years’.
I was so deeply touched that you should have invited me to return to Barbados and to join you, on behalf of The Queen… As your constitutional status changes, it was important to me that I should join you to reaffirm those things which do not change. For example, the close and trusted partnership between Barbados and the United Kingdom as vital members of the Commonwealth; our common determination to defend the values we both cherish and to pursue the goals we share; and the myriad connections between the people of our countries – through which flow admiration and affection, co-operation and opportunity – strengthening and enriching us all.’ This second Elizabethan era closes with the death of a devout Christian who met weekly with her prime ministers from Winston Churchill in 1952, to her last meeting with Liz Truss in 2022. She also developed a reliable bond with American presidents from the notable Harry Truman and JFK, to famously riding horses with Ronald Reagan, and she was the solitary person in the world to astound Trump. She followed Jesus Christ’s example as a servant leader. This little book tells the story of truly remarkable lady, the Queen, who has set a tremendous example of her Christian faith and as role model for us all, in terms of commitment, hard work and dedication.’
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Mindful of Protestant sensitivities, she has been careful to visit Catholic churches in this country on rare occasions. On one occasion, she attended vespers in Westminster Cathedral but has never attended Mass in this country. Catholic Communion was, for hundreds of years, anathema to the Protestants of Britain who heard transubstantiation denounced as idolatrous, first in the coronation service and later in the accession statement, before mention of it finally disappeared.
Stewardship indicates a certain care and responsibility – the kind that the prince has advocated humanity should demonstrate toward the environment. It is, like the theology of the servant, a biblical idea, but it is one that could well appeal to much wider constituency than just the scripture–reading one. The Steward King might well be the future for the monarchy.
Signing off her Platinum Jubilee letter, ‘Your Servant’, she wholeheartedly understood that her life was about service to others, as her Saviour had lived. She believed (and publicly proclaimed) that God had sent his only son ‘to serve, not to be served.’ Since the time of Edward VII, royal patronage of organizations including charities that work with young people, the elderly, the afflicted, animals and the environment has become one of the most important areas of work for the Crown, so much so that the historian Frank Prochaska has called the British set–up the ‘welfare monarchy’. She’s very affirming of other faiths but she’s quite clear that she is a Christian, and at HOPE we’ve been encouraging people to put their faith into words.
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