The Queen: Easter is NOT cancelled
The Queen last night issued an Easter message of hope to the nation, insisting that ‘coronavirus will not overcome us’.
In what is thought to be her first broadcast to mark the most important Christian event of the year, Her Majesty said: ‘This year, Easter will be different for many of us, but by keeping apart we keep others safe. But Easter isn’t cancelled; indeed, we need Easter as much as ever.
‘As dark as death can be – particularly for those suffering with grief – light and life are greater.’
Her grandson, Prince William, appointed Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by the Queen in January, was last week forced to cancel a trip north of the Border due to the pandemic.
The Duke of Cambridge had been due to attend the Church’s General Assembly in May, but the event has been scrapped due to lockdown restrictions.
While churches across the UK remain closed, many are adapting. A number of Easter services will be broadcast across the internet and on TV today, including a service from the kitchen of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Queen’s message, which was recorded on Friday, went out last night.
This is the second broadcast from Her Majesty within the space of a week and follows last Sunday’s televised address to the nation. Twenty four million people tuned in to see her evoke the spirit of the Second World War, saying that ‘we will meet again’.
Last night, she drew on many of the same themes of hope, while focusing on the Easter message of light and life overcoming darkness and death. Microphones were set up in advance in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
Today will be the first time in decades that Her Majesty has missed the annual Easter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor – a highlight of her year, when she sees her family together in celebration.
Last year, the Easter service fell on her 93rd birthday and she was greeted with bouquets of flowers by schoolchildren.
The chapel has hosted many royal weddings, including that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Cambridge wrote to the Church of Scotland about his absence at May’s General Assembly meeting, and said he found it heartening to see how the church had ‘reinvented itself digitally to continue providing worship, support and guidance for your congregations’.
He added: ‘I have no doubt that this support, as well as other means of offering help, is hugely appreciated at this extremely challenging time, particularly by the elderly and vulnerable.’
‘By keeping apart we keep others safe’