‘The Queen led a life of grace and wisdom’ – Archbishop of Wales’ address at national service
Her Majesty the Queen led a life of grace and wisdom, said the Archbishop of Wales in his address at Wales’ national service of prayer and reflection at Llandaff Cathedral today.
Paying tribute to her “extraordinary legacy of service and devotion” Archbishop Andrew John said the Queen had transformed the monarchy and provided a reassuring constancy through the decades.
The service, which was broadcast live, was attended by Their Majesties the King and the Queen Consort and invited guests from across Wales.
The Archbishop said the late Queen’s skilful use of “soft power” came to the fore during her visits to Aberfan after the disaster there in 1966, when the community found her presence “deeply consoling”.
Referring to Wales’ growing sense of nationhood and the Queen’s opening of the Senedd building in 2006, the Archbishop said “shared tradition” still counted and the Queen’s example of grace and wisdom were needed to “build a prosperous and compassionate society”.
“Our roots as a people are deep, our culture and language, stories and legends ground us in a unique heritage but also point us forward to a future with promise and potential,” he said.
While a “towering figure” on the world stage, the Queen could also “surprise and delight”.
“We will never look at a jar of marmalade in the same way again nor watch Mr Bond without remembering 2012 and that leap into the void,” said Archbishop Andrew.
The Archbishop gave thanks for Her Majesty’s “deep and committed Christian faith” which shaped her sense of duty and public service. He said, “Hers was a personal faith: she spoke of Jesus Christ and her relationship with him as well as his teachings and the way that his life, death and resurrection opened the possibility for new life, restored relationships and commitment to ‘a Kingdom not of this world’.”
Addressing Their Majesties the King and the Queen Consort, Archbishop John said it was an honour to welcome them to Llandaff Cathedral.
“Today we recognize too the sorrow of our new King and his family. In their grief, we assure them of our love and care for them and of our prayers,” he said.
The service, organized by the Welsh Government, was led by the Acting Dean of Llandaff, Michael Komor, and the Bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, led the prayers. Also taking part was Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, who read a lesson. Representatives of other churches and faith communities in Wales also read prayers.
The choir sang the anthem A Welsh Prayer, composed by Paul Mealor with words by Dr Grahame Davies. They were accompanied by two harps, played by Alis Huws, the official Royal harpist and Catrin Finch, a former Royal harpist.