We have been discussing duty and how Queen Elizabeth II gains resilience and purpose from her dedication to her duty. But we cannot discuss the Queen and duty without discussing her Christian faith. By all accounts the Queen has a strong and abiding personal faith in God. She is also, as Queen, head of the Church of England. The Queen has taken on this role seriously and also creatively.
The importance of faith to the Queen’s execution of her duty is shown in the coronation ceremony, a religious service hosted by the Church of England at Westminster Abbey, the home of many royal services. At its heart, the Queen’s coronation ceremony was a promise to God. While the Queen made promises to her people and her Church, she also made those promises to God. The most intimate part of the ceremony, the Anointing – the only part of the ceremony which wasn’t televised – is between God and the monarch. This is the part of the ceremony where the monarch is given authority by God to rule and is blessed for that role. Queen Elizabeth II has taken that anointing and her promises seriously.
Many misunderstand the role of the Queen in interfaith advocacy, in part due to England’s establishment of Christianity as its official state religion with Her Majesty as its leader. To the contrary, while her Christian faith is clear, the Queen has been a strong supporter for all faiths and the benefits to individuals and communities. The Queen repeatedly acknowledges and shows respect to other faiths and has indicated that she views one purpose of having a state religion is to protect the free practice of other religions within the country. She regularly attends interfaith meetings and services and meets with clergy of other faiths to seek their views on faith issues. Many of these clergy have stated their appreciation for Queen Elizabeth II’s interest and emphasis on faith issues.
Queen Elizabeth II regularly schedules time for religious practice. Besides attending a multitude of important religious services such as Christmas and Easter and Maundy Thursday, she also regularly attends Sunday church services. She is rumored to still pray at the foot of her bed every night as she was taught to do as a child. The Queen maintains her relationship to God with a regular routine and attention. While the Queen does not regularly share her personal religious beliefs, leading by example rather than telling anyone what to believe, she does share her beliefs at Christmas. In her Christmas speeches – the only speeches she writes herself without government review – she always takes care to mention the reason for the holiday and how everyone, regardless of their beliefs, can apply the message to help the world.
The Queen’s faith can be an example to us, no matter our religion or none. Whether it is establishing a regular practice of religion, spirituality, or humanism. Her example, and her uncompromising effort to consistently dedicate time to her practice, provides a framework to explore our values and our behavior in the world. Dedicating time to religious practice, spiritual exploration, or mindfulness helps us explore the deeper meaning behind our everyday experience which can help to give us purpose, comfort, and most importantly, resilience. It can give us space to discuss our problems, hopes, and dreams with our god and our spiritual community, or offer a refuge from troubling times.
I, myself, range on the agnostic scale of belief. I believe in a spiritual power, but can’t say that I know it (or believe that I can ever fully know it) and think there are as many valid ways to interact with that power as there are beings. I do have a faith tradition that I am always planning on practicing, but never really get around to doing. Perhaps it is due to a combination of fear, anger, and laziness. It is a relationship that needs to be cultivated. I have lately increased my spiritual practices, but have a long way to go on my part to cultivate that relationship. I feel I would do well to follow the Queen’s example and schedule in regular time to practice my spiritual path.
