CI Chairman: ‘The Queen was the epitome of humility and service’

The Christian Institute’s Chairman Revd Dr Richard Turnbull has given thanks to God for the life and witness of HM Queen Elizabeth II.

In an article for think tank the Acton Institute, Revd Turnbull said the Queen was “the epitome of humility and service, and sustained through much turmoil by faith”.

“We give thanks to God for her life and faith. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.”

‘Absolute dedication’

Revd Turnbull wrote: “The implications of Her Majesty’s passing, for both the nation and the Church of England, are enormous. The Queen was a person of deep, personal, and genuine faith that expressed itself in numerous ways during the course of her reign. We will never see the like of her again.

“Her humility, not least in times of adversity, her cheerfulness as she carried out decades of public and charitable duties, and her absolute dedication to the service of the nation made her a focus of national unity and identity. We mourn her loss. She was deeply loved.

the epitome of humility and service

“Quite simply, it is impossible to overestimate the impact of Queen Elizabeth’s life and reign.”

Faithful service

In 1947, the then Princess Elizabeth gave a speech on her 21st birthday, stating her lifelong commitment to the service of the nation – a vow she asked God to help her make good. Revd Turnbull called this an “extraordinary statement of intent from someone so young”.

Following the death of her father King George VI, the Queen then made further commitments before and at her Coronation, including that she would faithfully serve God and the nation all the days of her life, and that to the utmost of her power, she would “maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel”.

Revd Turnbull noted that she remained faithful to those promises throughout her reign and was a great constant in society, providing stability during a time which saw 15 Prime Ministers appointed and her family often in the public spotlight for the wrong reasons.

He said: “Through it all, Queen Elizabeth’s character was shaped by the Bible and her relationship with Jesus Christ, whose own life of sacrifice, service, and compassion formed the model and inspiration for her own.”

Divine providence

“Throughout her life, the Queen consistently proclaimed the Christian gospel, which gave her strength, comfort, and peace. We saw this in so many ways, not least in her annual Christmas messages to the nation.

“Indeed, as time went on in the 2000s onward, she became ever more explicit in her faith. In 2002, she stated simply, ‘I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.'”

Revd Turnbull wrote that, while he had never met the Queen, he had seen her in the flesh on several occasions when opening or addressing the Church of England General Synod. He said she was “steadfast, dutiful, devoted, prayerful”.

He continued: “Shortly after the announcement of Her Majesty’s death, a rainbow, which is the promise of God’s faithfulness, appeared in the sky over Windsor Castle, the Queen’s main residence near London, followed by a double rainbow over Buckingham Palace. I am a sufficient believer in divine providence to assert this as a sign of God and an act of God.”

King Charles III

Looking to the future, Revd Turnbull wrote: “Charles III is now King. He will, in due course, take the Coronation Oaths. He will become Defender of the Faith. There was much discussion in earlier years that Charles wished to become Defender of Faith or even Faiths. Subtle distinctions go deep.

“The monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a church that in its foundation documents makes clear is built on scripture and prayer.”

He said the King’s faith is “rather less explicit than that of the Queen”, but said we can pray “that Charles will come to know the Lord Jesus in the same way as did Her Majesty”.

Reflections

His reflections on The Queen join those of Institute Director Colin Hart and Trustees John Burn, Revd David Holloway and Rod Badams.

Mr Hart gave thanks to God for The Queen as “a force for stability in our society”.

Mr Burn, who met Her Majesty when receiving his OBE, added: “I believe we should thank God for her, for her extraordinary life and for her example of simple Christian faith.”