Remembering
Queen Elizabeth II
Born 21 April 1926
Went to heaven 8 September 2022
"I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. But I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me, as I now invite you to do: I know that your support will be unfailingly given. God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share in it."
It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Fulfilling her aforementioned vow until her death, she served not only her people, but also her King, the King of heaven, in Whose presence she is now standing. She served with dignity, duty, grace, wisdom, resilience, intelligence, adaptability, peaceability, and much more in such a changing world, ever keeping an eye not only on the affairs in this world, but also upon her God.
At a time of national crisis when the UK was entering WW2, 13 year old Elizabeth gave the following poem to her father, King George, who read it in his national radio address. With today’s global uncertainty and challenging changes, these words once again inspire hope and courage.
The Gate of the Year
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".
And he replied:
"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way".
Words of hope from the King she served
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms...I am going there to prepare a place for you.”
— Jesus in John 14:1-2
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
— John 11:25
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
— John 3:16
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has the life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
— Apostle John in 1 John 5:11-12
"We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
— Apostle Paul in Romans 5:8
"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."
— Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:21
Tributes from heads of the Christian religious communities
Justin Welby, The Archbishop of Canterbury:
Pope Francis II
Archbishop Angaelos, The Coptic Church UK
Additional articles:
Queen Elizabeth II was an example of Christian faith
Queen Elizabeth II, Beacon of Grace