‘Thank you for staying the course’
Nation gives thanks to the Queen – with a nod to her love of horse racing – as Prince of Wales leads the way at St Paul’s in her absence
FOR a monarch with a lifelong love of horse racing it was, perhaps, the ultimate compliment. Summing up the mood of the nation, the Archbishop of York yesterday thanked the Queen for “staying the course” over her unparalleled 70 years of service. To the disappointment of the crowds who had gathered outside St Paul’s Cathedral, Her Majesty was unable to attend the service of thanksgiving, but as the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell put it, she is very much “still in the saddle” and there is, happily, “still more to come”.
He was referring to her reign, but his comment applied equally to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which continue for a further two days and will, with luck, include at least one more appearance by the sovereign.
The Prince of Wales stepped in to represent his 96-year-old mother at the service after she pulled out because of the “discomfort” she was suffering after Thursday’s Trooping the Colour and beacon-lighting events.
The congregation at St Paul’s included almost 40 members of the Royal family, among them the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, attending their first public royal event since they turned their backs on Britain two years ago.
Having stepped down from royal duties, they were relegated to the second row of seats, next to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, whose father, the Duke of York, was also absent after testing positive for Covid.
Behind them in the nave were 400 members of the public, invited because they share the Queen’s devotion to service and had been recognised in the most recent birthday and New Year honours lists. Many of them had been involved in the pandemic response.
Duty, and faith, were at the heart of the service, but most of all it was a formal thank-you to a woman who has kept her promise to devote her life to her country, and who has never let us down.
The Queen had to make do with watching the ceremony on television at Windsor Castle, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who should have delivered the sermon, was also absent after contracting Covid.
Instead that duty fell to Archbishop Cottrell, and his address was peppered with references to horses, to the clear amusement of the Royal family.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any great tips for the Derby tomorrow,” he said, “but since the scriptures describe life as a race set before us, let me observe that your long reign reflects the distance of Aintree rather than the sprints of Epsom.
“Certainly, less dressage than most people imagine. But with endurance, through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow, you continue to offer yourself in the service of our country and the Commonwealth.
“Your Majesty, we’re sorry you’re not with us this morning, but we are so glad you are still in the saddle. And we are all glad that there is still more to come.
“So, thank you for staying the course. Thank you for continuing to be faithful to the pledges you made 70 years ago. Thank you for showing us how service and faithfulness matter.”
The Archbishop praised the Queen’s “staunch constancy and steadfast consistency” and repeatedly referred to her deep religious faith, noting: “What I see in Her Majesty the Queen is someone who has been able to serve our nation faithfully because of her faith in Jesus Christ.”
Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the Queen will not attend today’s Derby meeting at Epsom, though she would have been amused to see that minutes after the announcement a horse called Royal Champion won the meeting’s 3.45 race.
After the service, members of the Royal family mingled with the congregation at a Guildhall reception hosted by the Lord Mayor of London and the City of London Corporation, where the Duchess of Cambridge told a guest the Queen was “fine” but had found Thursday “very tiring”.
Yesterday’s service included a Bible reading by Boris Johnson, one of six of the 14 prime ministers of the Queen’s reign at the service. Theresa May, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major were in the congregation, together with Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon.
Crowds had gathered outside St Paul’s from early in the morning to see members of the Royal family arrive and depart, and all were cheered as they made their way up the steps to the Great West Door. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were given a largely positive welcome by the crowd, but there were some jeers, too. Mr Johnson and his wife, Carrie, received the most hostile reception, with many boos audible, though others in the crowd gave them a warmer welcome.
The absence of the Queen was, however, felt by those outside. Claire Evans, a retired language teacher from Cambridge, had attended every jubilee event since 1977 and not seeing the monarch this time had left her bereft.
“It’s just so very disappointing,” she said, standing amid the crowds gathered at the barriers from early morning. “She was clearly having difficulty walking when she lit the beacons last night. I really do feel quite worried about her.”
As the royal party emerged at the end of the service, a spontaneous chorus of God Save the Queen was followed by cheers.