Queen Elizabeth marks anniversary of coronation
Source: AFP |
June 5, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
QUEEN Elizabeth II celebrated the 60th anniversary of her coronation yesterday by returning to Westminster Abbey for a special service, with the glittering solid gold crown and the holy oil used to anoint her taking center stage.
Some 2,200 guests including all the senior royals crammed into the historic London church for the service which reflected her crowning on June 2,` 1953 - and lifetime of duty ever since.
The 87-year-old monarch was joined on the front row by Prince William and his pregnant wife Catherine, who sat with her hands clasped under her baby bump.
It was the first time they have publicly visited the abbey since they married there in April 2011.
The sovereign, in an oyster-colored outfit by Angela Kelly, was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, 91, who was at her side despite skipping a public engagement on Monday due to ill health.
"With united voice, we give thanks for the long and glorious reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth," said John Hall, the Dean of Westminster, as the service began.
St Edward's Crown, inlaid with precious stones, was displayed on the high altar after leaving the Tower of London for the first time since it was used for the queen's coronation six decades ago.
The crown, made for the coronation of England's king Charles II in 1661, was displayed alongside the Ampulla - the gold, eagle-shaped flask containing the holy anointing oil.
The clear glass bottle was processed by representatives of British society - which included two schoolchildren, a Girl Guide and a school crossing patrol 'lollipop lady' in her fluorescent yellow uniform.
Outside in the sunshine crowds gathered behind barricades bedecked in British and Canadian flags, while the abbey bells pealed.
Inside, the seats closest to the royals were reserved for the titled aristocracy and the high commissioners from the queen's 15 Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica.
Music and hymns
The guests included people who attended the coronation, including choir boys who were 11 at the time.
Soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats trumpeted the queen's arrival.
The music, hymns and service structure reflected that of the coronation.
In his address, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Church of England's spiritual leader, recalled the coronation rites.
"Pomp and ceremony on a rainy June day, wrapped in time and custom - very British," he said.
"Her Majesty knelt at the beginning of a path of demanding devotion and utter self-sacrifice, a path she did not choose, yet to which she was called.
"The coronation was an ordination, a setting aside of a person for service."
He said Queen Elizabeth's true power "is found neither in pomp and circumstance nor in public displays but in radical commitment, single-minded devotion and servant leadership."
The Bible readings were given by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, reflecting the queen's devotion to her role as head of the 54-member organization.
A poem by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy was also read out.
Some 2,200 guests including all the senior royals crammed into the historic London church for the service which reflected her crowning on June 2,` 1953 - and lifetime of duty ever since.
The 87-year-old monarch was joined on the front row by Prince William and his pregnant wife Catherine, who sat with her hands clasped under her baby bump.
It was the first time they have publicly visited the abbey since they married there in April 2011.
The sovereign, in an oyster-colored outfit by Angela Kelly, was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, 91, who was at her side despite skipping a public engagement on Monday due to ill health.
"With united voice, we give thanks for the long and glorious reign of our Sovereign Lady Queen Elizabeth," said John Hall, the Dean of Westminster, as the service began.
St Edward's Crown, inlaid with precious stones, was displayed on the high altar after leaving the Tower of London for the first time since it was used for the queen's coronation six decades ago.
The crown, made for the coronation of England's king Charles II in 1661, was displayed alongside the Ampulla - the gold, eagle-shaped flask containing the holy anointing oil.
The clear glass bottle was processed by representatives of British society - which included two schoolchildren, a Girl Guide and a school crossing patrol 'lollipop lady' in her fluorescent yellow uniform.
Outside in the sunshine crowds gathered behind barricades bedecked in British and Canadian flags, while the abbey bells pealed.
Inside, the seats closest to the royals were reserved for the titled aristocracy and the high commissioners from the queen's 15 Commonwealth realms, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica.
Music and hymns
The guests included people who attended the coronation, including choir boys who were 11 at the time.
Soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats trumpeted the queen's arrival.
The music, hymns and service structure reflected that of the coronation.
In his address, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Church of England's spiritual leader, recalled the coronation rites.
"Pomp and ceremony on a rainy June day, wrapped in time and custom - very British," he said.
"Her Majesty knelt at the beginning of a path of demanding devotion and utter self-sacrifice, a path she did not choose, yet to which she was called.
"The coronation was an ordination, a setting aside of a person for service."
He said Queen Elizabeth's true power "is found neither in pomp and circumstance nor in public displays but in radical commitment, single-minded devotion and servant leadership."
The Bible readings were given by British Prime Minister David Cameron and Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma, reflecting the queen's devotion to her role as head of the 54-member organization.
A poem by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy was also read out.
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