In the Gospel today, people are giving all sorts of excuses for delaying following Jesus.
Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity.
Refrain
O come to my heart, Lord Jesus,
There is room in my heart for Thee.
Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang,
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth didst Thou come to earth,
And in great humility.
Refrain
The foxes found rest, and the birds their nest
In the shade of the forest tree;
But Thy couch was the sod, O Thou Son of God,
In the deserts of Galilee.
Refrain
Thou camest, O Lord, with the living Word,
That should set Thy people free;
But with mocking scorn and with crown of thorn,
They bore Thee to Calvary.
Refrain
When the heav’ns shall ring, and her choirs shall sing,
At Thy coming to victory,
Let Thy voice call me home, saying “Yet there is room,
There is room at My side for thee.”
You have probably guessed that green is my favourite colour! The gardens look magnificent in early summer green.
The Lord my pasture shall prepare
And feed me with a shepherd’s care;
His presence shall my wants supply
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noonday walks He shall attend
And all my midnight hours defend.
When in the sultry glebe I faint
Or on the thirsty mountain pant,
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary, wandering steps He leads,
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.
Though in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill,
For Thou, O Lord, art with me still;
Thy friendly crook shall give me aid
And guide me through the dreadful shade.
Though in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious lonely wilds, I stray,
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile;
The barren wilderness shall smile,
With sudden greens and herbage crowned,
And streams shall murmur all around.
It is sometimes necessary to replace plants which cannot stand up to Highland winters. A Virginia Creeper died last year, and I have just purchased a new plant to replace it with.
Here we see a fine specimen of Cotoneaster Lacteus AGM, which I purchased for £10.99.
Cotoneaster can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs or small trees, with simple, entire leaves and clusters of small white or pink flowers in spring and summer, followed by showy red, purple or black berries.
C. lacteus is a large evergreen shrub with arching branches bearing oval leaves to 6cm in length, white-hairy beneath. Large clusters of small white flowers are followed by small red berries.
Today we celebrate the birth of John the Baptist - Midsummer's Day!
Hail, harbinger of morn:
thou that art this day born,
and heraldest the Word with clarion voice!
Ye faithful ones, in him
behold the dawning dim
of the bright day, and let your hearts rejoice.
John--by that chosen name
to call him, Gabriel came
by God's appointment from his home on high:
what deeds that babe should do
to manhood when he grew,
God sent his Angel forth to testify.
There is none greater, none,
than Zechariah's son;
than this no mightier prophet hath been born:
of prophets he may claim
more than a prophet's fame;
sublimer deeds than theirs his brow adorn.
"Lo, to prepare thy way,"
did God the Father say,
"Before thy face my messenger I send,
thy coming to forerun;
as on the orient sun
doth the bright daystar morn by morn attend."
Praise therefore God most high;
praise him who came to die
for us, his Son that liveth evermore;
and to the Spirit raise,
the Comforter, like praise,
while time endureth, and when time is o'er.
In the Gospel today we hear Jesus say, 'If anyone wants to be follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.'
“Take up thy cross,” the Saviour said,
“If thou wouldst My disciple be;
Deny thyself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after Me.”
Take up thy cross, let not its weight
Fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear thy spirit up,
And brace thy heart and nerve thine arm.
Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
Nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
Thy Lord for thee the cross endured,
And saved thy soul from death and hell.
Take up thy cross then in His strength,
And calmly sin’s wild deluge brave,
’Twill guide thee to a better home,
It points to glory o’er the grave.
Take up thy cross and follow Christ,
Nor think til death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.
To Thee, great Lord, the One in Three,
All praise forevermore ascend:
O grant us in our home to see
The heavenly life that knows no end.
There are two raised beds containing potatoes. They always seem to grow well in the Scottish Highlands. They are harvested towards the end of September and last until the end of March.
Fourteen young runner beans plants have been selected for growing on. They have now been placed around two seven foot wigwams and are starting their journey upwards in an anti-clockwise direction.
Runner beans are one of my favourite vegetables. They are not grown all that much in the Scottish Highlands - they rather give away the fact that I am from England!
And did those feet in ancient time.
Walk upon Englands mountains green:
And was the holy Lamb of God,
On Englands pleasant pastures seen!
And did the Countenance Divine,
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here,
Among these dark Satanic Mills?
Bring me my Bow of burning gold;
Bring me my Arrows of desire:
Bring me my Spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my Chariot of fire!
I will not cease from Mental Fight,
Nor shall my Sword sleep in my hand:
Till we have built Jerusalem,
In Englands green & pleasant Land.
I like the tune! I hope my neighbours don't take offense and pull the wigwams down.
I always think my garden looks its worst at this stage of the year - it looks more like a building site!
All the spring bedding has been removed and now the summer bedding has been planted - but the young plants are not yet in flower - they still have plenty of growing to do. I have little doubt that the next time I show you this scene it will be a riot of colour!
I have planted out six hanging baskets, and each basket contains 13 plants - making 78 in all. There care six trailing lobelia in Cambridge blue and seven petunias in patriotic colours. The raised bed contains 29 antirrhinums in assorted colours and 9 patriotic petunias.
You can see the barbecue stove in the background - it remains to be seen whether it will be used this year!
Here are some of the petunias ready for planting out in the hanging baskets.
They are in red, white, and blue in honour and celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of The Queen.
Colours of day dawn into the mind,
The sun has come up, the night is behind.
Go down in the city, into the street,
And let's give the message to the people we meet.
Refrain
So light up the fire and let the flame burn,
Open the door, let Jesus return,
Take seeds of His Spirit, let the fruit grow,
Tell the people of Jesus, let His love show.
Go through the park, on into the town;
The sun still shines on, it never goes down.
The light of the world is risen again;
The people of darkness are needing a friend.
Refrain
Open your eyes, look into the sky,
The darkness has come, the sun came to die,
The evening draws on, the sun disappears,
But Jesus is living, His Spirit is near.
Well, since we last saw them, the tomato plants have shot up! They are now almost 5ft tall.
The six plants are all grown in grow bags using ring culture methods. All plants have now reached the bud stage, and the first flowers are just starting to open. It will soon be summer!
Kindly spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless lays
Warble their Creator’s praise.
Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.
Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by Thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.
On Thy garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon Thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.
I like to sing these words to the tune 'Savannah'.
What a month it has been for Justin Welby - meeting The Queen on 4 June and then meeting Pope Francis on 14 June. Perhaps one day Pope Francis will be received by Queen Elizabeth and then make a visit to Westminster Abbey.
This morning in the Vatican, Pope Francis received the Primate of all England and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, England, with the same words that Paul VI greeted his predecessor, Michael Ramsey, during his historic visit to the Vatican in 1966: “Your steps have not brought you to a foreign dwelling ... we are pleased to open the doors to you, and with the doors, our heart, pleased and honoured as we are ... to welcome you ‘not as a guest or a stranger, but as a fellow citizen of the Saints and the Family of God’.”
He also recalled that, at the ceremony of his taking possession of the Cathedral of Canterbury, the archbishop prayed for the new Bishop of Rome, a gesture that the Pope was deeply grateful for. He added: “Since we began our respective ministries within days of each other, I think we will always have a particular reason to support one another in prayer.”
“The history of relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church,” the Pope continued, “is long and complex, and not without pain. Recent decades, however, have been marked by a journey of rapprochement and fraternity, and for this we give heartfelt thanks to God. This journey has been brought about both via theological dialogue, through the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and via the growth of cordial relations at every level through shared daily lives in a spirit of profound mutual respect and sincere cooperation. In this regard, I am very pleased to welcome alongside you Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster. These firm bonds of friendship have enabled us to remain on course even when difficulties have arisen in our theological dialogue that were greater than we could have foreseen at the start of our journey.”
Francis expressed his gratitude to the archbishop for “the sincere efforts that the Church of England has made to understand the reasons that led ... Pope Benedict XVI, to provide a canonical structure able to respond to the wishes of those groups of Anglicans who have asked to be received collectively into the Catholic Church.” He stated that the structure “will enable the spiritual, liturgical, and pastoral traditions that form the Anglican patrimony to be better known and appreciated in the Catholic world.”
The pontiff then noted that their meeting is an opportunity to recall that “the search for unity among Christians is prompted not by practical considerations, but by the will of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who made us his brothers and sisters, children of the One Father. Hence the prayer that we make today is of fundamental importance.”
Their praying together “gives a fresh impulse to our daily efforts to grow towards unity, which are concretely expressed in our cooperation in various areas of daily life. Particularly important among these is our witness to the reference to God and the promotion of Christian values in a world that seems at times to call into question some of the foundations of society, such as respect for the sacredness of human life or the importance of the institution of the family built on marriage. … Then there is the effort to achieve greater social justice, to build an economic system that is at the service of man and promotes the common good. Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to treat people as mere consumers.”
“I know that Your Grace,” the Holy Father asserted, “is especially sensitive to all these questions, in which we share many ideas, and I am also aware of your commitment to foster reconciliation and resolution of conflicts between nations. In this regard, together with Archbishop Nichols [the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, England], you have urged the authorities to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict such as would guarantee the security of the entire population, including the minorities, not least among whom are the ancient local Christian communities. As you yourself have observed, we Christians bring peace and grace as a treasure to be offered to the world, but these gifts can bear fruit only when Christians live and work together in harmony. This makes it easier to contribute to building relations of respect and peaceful coexistence with those who belong to other religious traditions, and with non-believers.”
“The unity we so earnestly long for,” concluded the Pope, “is a gift that comes from above and it is rooted in our communion of love with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. … May the merciful Father hear and grant the prayers that we make to him together.”
Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the Head and Cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the church in one;
Holy Zion's help for ever
And her confidence alone.
All that dedicated city,
Dearly loved of God on high,
In exultant jubilation
Pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
In glad hymns eternally.
To this temple, where we call thee,
Come, O Lord of hosts today:
With thy wonted lovingkindness
Hear thy people as they pray;
And thy fullest benediction
Shed within its walls alway.
Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
What they ask of thee to gain,
What they gain from thee for ever
With the blessed to retain,
And hereafter in thy glory
Evermore with thee to reign.
Laud and honour to the Father,
Laud and honour to the Son,
Laud and honour to the Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One,
One in might, and One in glory,
While unending ages run.
At the start of this video the Dean of Westminster was explaining to Pope Benedict XVI that the hymn tune is called 'Westminster Abbey'. The Holy Father was most impressed!
Just as the Coronation on 2 June 1953 ended with a Solemn Te Deum, so the service on 4 June 2013 ended with this great paean of praise.
God grant to the living, grace;
to the departed, rest;
to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth, and all humankind,
peace and concord;
and to us and all his servants, life everlasting;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
be with you and remain with you always. Amen.
SERMON GIVEN AT THE SERVICE TO CELEBRATE THE SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S CORONATION, 1953
4th June 2013 at 11:00 am
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan
'And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant' (St Matthew 20:27)
A nation watched. It was the first time the whole nation had watched anything as it happened. But this they saw. Pomp and ceremony on a rainy, June day, wrapped in time and custom – very British. At its beginning was a moment of deepest meaning we have all almost forgotten. The figure at the centre of events, the new Queen, goes alone, not to the Coronation Chair, but past it: to kneel at the altar in prayer. Before her on the High Altar the words 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ.'
We do not know what was prayed. 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 by God. Today we celebrate sixty years since that moment, sixty years of commitment.
There was a trumpet fanfare as today as The Queen arrived with her supporters, but let us resist the splendour of the spectacle for a moment, and focus on what was meant: 'Not my will, Lord, but yours be done.'
And following her giving of allegiance to God, others - especially, with such equal and dedicated commitment, The Duke of Edinburgh - pledged their allegiance to her.
And here, in the grace and providence of God, is the model of liberty and authority which our country enjoys. Liberty is only real when it exists under authority. Liberty under authority begins, as the Book of Common Prayer puts it, with our duty to God, 'whose service is perfect freedom'.
We live in a hierarchy of liberty under authority that ascends to God's limitless love. As we see in the life of Jesus, with God justice and mercy are perfectly joined, wisdom is unlimited, generosity is unstinting, and love pours out to the whole world in an overwhelming embrace that is offered universally and abundantly.
A nation that crowns its head of state with such a model of liberty under authority expresses commitment to the same glorious values for itself.
In those moments of prayer are symbolised the basis for the greatness of this country. In their silence lies God’s call. In their humility lies God’s authority. In their resulting service lies God’s perfect freedom. What follows is the joy of security that comes from obeying God alone. Such consecration to God is followed by a crown. When we obey God’s call, whoever we are, leading Government or quietly serving our local community, we establish a country that is open-handed and open-hearted, serving others with joy.
In such service we become Britain at its best. We know how to celebrate - as again last year in the Olympics. We know how to comfort and grieve – as on the streets of Woolwich, in the courage of passersby and police.
Yet we are not always and everywhere at our best. We celebrate today not liberty by itself, which in human weakness turns to selfishness, but liberty under the authority of God. We are never more free, nor better than when we are under the authority of God.
The coronation was an ordination, a setting aside of a person for service. Once anointed, Her Majesty received symbols, symbols so monumental that they are only bearable by the grace and strength of God.
They were symbols of service as well as of leadership and authority. Hear the words spoken to Her Majesty as she received the sword:
With this sword do justice,
stop the growth of iniquity,
protect the holy Church of God,
help and defend widows and orphans,
restore the things that are gone to decay,
maintain the things that are restored,
punish and reform what is amiss,
and confirm what is in good order:
that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue;
and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life,
that you may reign for ever with him
in the life which is to come.
Small tasks! Tasks that are shared and renewed in a free democracy under authority. The symbols and words point us to our deepest understanding of the nature of power, which is found neither in pomp and circumstance, nor in public displays, but in radical commitment, single-minded devotion and servant leadership. And for that we give thanks today.
The very nature of being British follows this simple logic. It is founded on liberty under authority. It imitates the example of Jesus who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but humbled himself and took the form of a slave. In Jesus is seen the greatest servant of all, whose service gives us freedom, whose love is generously offered to each of us.
Her Majesty The Queen is servant of the King of kings, and so she serves us, as we serve her, in liberty and under authority. It is a system that points to freedom in God, in whose love alone we are fully human, fully free.
Praise to the Lord, the almighty, the King of creations;
O my soul, praise him, for he is thy health and salvation:
All ye who hear,
Now to his temple draw near,
Joining in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shieldeth thee gently from harm, or when fainting sustaineth:
Hast thou not seen
How thy heart's wishes have been
Granted in what he ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend thee:
Ponder anew
What the Almighty can do,
If to the end he befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the Amen
Sound from his people again:
Gladly for ay we adore him.
We now come to the 17th and final section of the service.
XVII. The Recess
In the mean time, the Queen, supported as before, the four swords being carried before her, shall descend from her Throne, crowned and carrying the Sceptre and the Rod in her hands, and shall go into the Area eastward of the Theatre; and, the Archbishop going before her, she shall pass on through the door on the south side of the Altar into Saint Edward's Chapel; and after her shall follow the Groom of the Robes, the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Lords that carried the Regalia in the procession (the Dean of Westminster delivering the Orb, the Spurs and St Edward's Staff to the Bearers of them as they pass the Altar); and lastly shall go in the Dean.
And, the Te Deum ended, the people may be seated until the Queen comes again from the Chapel.
The Queen, being come into the Chapel, shall deliver to the Archbishop, being at the Altar there, the Sceptre and the Rod to be laid upon the Altar: and the Archbishop shall receive the Queen's Crown and lay it upon the Altar also. Then, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, and attended by the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Groom of the Robes, the Queen shall be disrobed of the Robe Royal and arrayed in her Robe of purple velvet.
Meanwhile the Dean of Westminster shall lay upon the Altar the Orb, the Spurs and St Edward's Staff, having received them from the Bearers of them, who shall then (preceded by the Bearers of the Four Swords) withdraw from the Chapel by the same door on the south side and take the places assigned to them in the procession.
The Queen being ready, and wearing her Imperial Crown, shall receive the Sceptre with the Cross into her right hand and into her left hand the Orb from the Archbishop, who, having delivered them, shall withdraw from the Chapel and take his place in the procession: and the Lord Great Chamberlain shall do likewise.
Then her Majesty, supported and attended as before, shall leave the Chapel by the same door on the south side and shall proceed in state through the choir and the nave to the west door of the Church, wearing her Crown and bearing in her right hand the Sceptre and in her left hand the Orb.
And as the Queen proceeds from the Chapel, there shall be sung by all assembled the National Anthem.
Following the service in Westminster Abbey there was a triumphal procession through the streets of London culminating in an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
We now reach the 16th Section of the service - the Solemn Te Deum.
XVI.
The solemnity of the Queen's Coronation being thus ended, the people shall stand, and the choir shall sing:
Te Deum Laudamus
We praise thee, O God:
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee:
the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud:
the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim:
continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy:
Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty:
of thy Glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles:
praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets:
praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs:
praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world:
doth acknowledge thee;
The Father:
of an infinite majesty;
Thine honourable, true:
and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost:
the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory:
O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son:
of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man:
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death:
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God:
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come:
to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants:
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints:
in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people:
and bless thine heritage.
Govern them:
and lift them up for ever.
Day by day:
we worship thee;
And we worship thy Name:
ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord:
to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us:
have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us:
as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted:
let me never be confounded.
We now move to the 15th section of the service - the second part of the Holy Communion Service.
XV. The Communion
Then shall the organ play and the people shall with one voice sing this hymn:
All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forth tell,
Come ye before him, and rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed,
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.
O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
For why? the Lord our God is good:
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heaven and earth adore,
From men and from the Angel-host
Be praise and glory evermore. Amen.
In the mean while the Queen shall descend from her Throne, supported and attended as before, and go to the steps of the Altar, where, delivering her Crown and her Sceptre and Rod to the Lord Great Chamberlain or other appointed Officers to hold, she shall kneel down.
The hymn ended and the people kneeling, first the Queen shall offer Bread and Wine for the Communion, which being brought out of Saint Edward's Chapel, and delivered into her hands (the Bread upon the Paten by the Bishop that read the Epistle, and the Wine in the Chalice by the Bishop that read the Gospel), shall be received from the Queen by the Archbishop, and reverently placed upon the Altar, and decently covered with a fair linen cloth, the Archbishop first saying this prayer:
Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy gifts,
and sanctify them unto this holy use,
that by them we may be made partakers of the Body and Blood
of thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ,
and fed unto everlasting life of soul and body:
And that thy servant Queen ELIZABETH
may be enabled to the discharge of her weighty office,
whereunto of thy great goodness thou hast called and appointed her.
Grant this, O Lord, for Jesus Christ's sake,
our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
Then the Queen, kneeling as before, shall make her Oblation, offering a Pall or Altar-cloth delivered by the Groom of the Robes to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and by him, kneeling, to her Majesty, and an Ingot or Wedge of Gold of a pound weight, which the Treasurer of the Household shall deliver to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and he to her Majesty; and the Archbishop coming to her, shall receive and place them upon the Altar.
Then shall the Queen go to her faldstool, set before the Altar between the steps and King Edward's Chair, and the Duke of Edinburgh, coming to his faldstool set beside the Queen's shall take off his coronet. Then shall they kneel down together, and the Archbishop shall say this prayer:
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness:
give ear, we beseech thee, to our prayers,
and multiply thy blessings upon this thy servant PHILIP
who with all humble devotion offers himself
for thy service in the dignity to which thou hast called him.
Defend him from all dangers, ghostly and bodily;
make him a great example of virtue and godliness,
and a blessing to the Queen and to her Peoples;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee, O Father,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.
Then shall the Archbishop bless the Duke, saying:
Almighty God,
to whom belongeth all power and dignity,
prosper you in your honour
and grant you therein long to continue,
fearing him always,
and always doing such things as please him,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then the Archbishop, returning to the Altar, shall say:
Let us pray for the whole state of Christ's Church militant here in earth.
Almighty and everliving God, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us to make prayers, and supplications, and to give thanks for all men: we humbly beseech thee most mercifully to accept these oblations, and to receive these our prayers which we offer unto thy Divine Majesty; beseeching thee to inspire continually the universal Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord: And grant, that all they that do confess thy holy Name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and live in unity and godly love.
We beseech thee also to save and defend all Christian Kings, Princes and Governors; and specially thy servant ELIZABETH our Queen; that under her we may be godly and quietly governed; and grant unto her whole Council, and to all that are put in authority under her, that they may truly and indifferently minister justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion, and virtue.
Give grace, O heavenly Father, to all Bishops and Curates, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively Word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy Sacraments; and to all thy people give thy heavenly grace; and specially to this congregation here present; that, with meek heart and due reverence, they may hear, and receive thy holy Word; truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.
And we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity.
And we also bless thy holy Name for all thy servants departed this life in thy faith and fear; beseeching thee to give us grace so to follow their good examples, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom:
Grant this, O Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.
The Exhortation.
Ye that do truly and earnestly repent you of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways; Draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort; and make your humble confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling upon your knees.
The General Confession.
Almighty God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Maker of all things, Judge of all men;
We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,
Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed,
By thought, word, and deed,
Against thy Divine Majesty,
Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.
We do earnestly repent,
And are heartily sorry for these our misdoings;
The remembrance of them is grievous unto us;
The burden of them is intolerable.
Have mercy upon us,
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
For thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake,
Forgive us all that is past;
And grant that we may ever hereafter
Serve and please thee in newness of life,
To the honour and glory of thy Name;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Absolution.
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of his great mercy
hath promised forgiveness of sins
to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him;
Have mercy upon you;
pardon and deliver you from all your sins;
confirm and strengthen you in all goodness;
and bring you to everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall the Archbishop say:
Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn to him.
Come unto me, all that travail and are heavy laden,
and I will refresh you.
Matthew 11, 28.
So God loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son,
to the end that all that believe in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
John 3, 16.
Here also what Saint Paul saith.
This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
I Timothy 1, 15.
Here also what Saint John saith.
If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous;
and he is the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 2, 1.
After which the Archbishop shall proceed, saying:
Lift up your hearts.
Answer We lift them up unto the Lord.
Archbishop Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
Answer It is meet and right so to do.
Then shall the Archbishop turn to the Lord's Table, and say:
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty,
that we should at all times, and in all places,
give thanks unto thee,
O Lord, Holy Father,
Almighty, Everlasting God:
Who hast at this time consecrated thy servant
ELIZABETH to be our Queen,
that by the anointing of thy grace she may be
the Defender of thy Faith
and the Protector of thy Church and People.
Therefore with Angels and Archangels,
and with all the company of heaven,
we laud and magnify thy glorious Name;
evermore praising thee, and saying:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts,
heaven and earth are full of thy glory.
Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Amen.
The Prayer of Humble Access:
We do not presume
to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in thy manifold and great mercies.
We are not worthy
so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table.
But thou art the same Lord,
whose property is always to have mercy.
Grant us therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
The Prayer of Consecration:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
who of thy tender mercy
didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ
to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption;
who made there
(by his one oblation of himself once offered)
a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction,
for the sins of the whole world;
and did institute,
and in his holy Gospel command us to continue,
a perpetual memory of that his precious death,
until his coming again;
Hear us, O merciful Father,
we most humbly beseech thee;
and grant that we, receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine,
according to thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ's holy institution,
in remembrance of his death and passion,
may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood:
Who in the same night that he was betrayed,
Here the Archbishop is to take the Paten into his hands:
took Bread; and, when he had given thanks,
And here to break the Bread:
he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying,
Take, eat,
And here to lay his hand upon the Bread:
this is my Body, which is given for you:
Do this in remembrance of me.
Likewise, after supper,
Here he is to take the Cup into his hand:
he took the Cup;
and when he had given thanks,
he gave it to them, saying,
Drink ye all of this;
for this
And here to lay his hand upon the Cup.
is my Blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for you and for many
for the remission of sins:
Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it,
in remembrance of me. Amen.
When the Archbishops, and the Dean of Westminster, with the Bishops Assistant (namely, those who carried the Bible, Paten and Chalice in the Procession), have communicated in both kinds, the Queen with the Duke of Edinburgh shall advance to the steps of the Altar and, both kneeling down, the Archbishop shall administer the Bread, and the Dean of Westminster the Cup, to them. And in the mean time the choir shall sing:
O taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is:
blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34, 8.
At the delivery of the Bread shall be said:
The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.
Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee,
and feed on him in thy heart by faith, with thanksgiving.
At the delivery of the Cup:
The Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for thee,
preserve thy body and soul unto everlasting life.
Drink this in remembrance that Christ's Blood was shed for thee,
and be thankful.
After which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh shall return to their faldstools; and the Archbishop shall go on to the Post-Communion, he and all the people saying:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
But deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.
And after shall be said as followeth:
O Lord and heavenly Father,
we thy humble servants
entirely desire thy fatherly goodness
mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;
most humbly beseeching thee to grant, that
by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ,
and through faith in his blood,
we, and all thy whole Church,
may obtain remission of our sins,
and all other benefits of his passion.
And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord,
ourselves, our souls and bodies,
to be a reasonable, holy, and lively sacrifice unto thee;
humbly beseeching thee, that all we,
who are partakers of this holy Communion,
may be fulfilled with thy grace and heavenly benediction.
And although we be unworthy, through our manifold sins,
to offer unto thee any sacrifice,
yet we beseech thee
to accept this our bounden duty and service;
not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences,
through Jesus Christ our Lord;
by whom, and with whom,
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
all honour and glory be unto thee,
O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.
Then, all the people standing, the Queen shall rise and, receiving again her Crown and taking the Sceptre and Rod into her hands, shall repair to her Throne; and the Duke, putting on his coronet, shall return to his place.
Then shall be sung:
Glory be to God on high,
and in earth peace, good will towards men.
We praise thee, we bless thee,
we worship thee, we glorify thee,
we give thanks to thee for thy great glory,
O Lord God, heavenly King,
God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For thou only art holy;
thou only art the Lord;
thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art most high
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
Then, the people kneeling, the Archbishop shall say:
Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings
with thy most gracious favour,
and further us with thy continual help;
that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee,
we may glorify thy holy Name,
and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God,
and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord;
and the blessing of God Almighty,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,
be amongst you, and remain with you always. Amen.
We now come to the 13th and 14th sections of the service.
XIII. The Enthroning
Then shall the Queen go to her Throne, and be lifted up into it by the Archbishops and Bishops, and other Peers of the Kingdom; and being enthroned, or placed therein, all the Great Officers, those that bear the Swords and the Sceptres, and the Nobles that carried the other Regalia, shall stand round about the steps of the Throne; and the Archbishop, standing before the Queen, shall say:
Stand firm, and hold fast from henceforth
the seat and state of royal and imperial dignity,
which is this day delivered unto you,
in the Name and by the Authority of Almighty God,
and by the hands of us
the Bishops and servants of God, though unworthy.
And the Lord God Almighty,
whose ministers we are, and the stewards of his mysteries,
establish your Throne in righteousness,
that it may stand fast for evermore. Amen.
XIV. The Homage
The Exhortation being ended, all the Princes and Peers then present shall do their Fealty and Homage publicly and solemnly unto the Queen: and the Queen shall deliver her Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove, to some one near to the Blood Royal, or to the Lords that carried them in the procession, or to any other that she pleaseth to assign, to hold them by her, till the Homage be ended.
And the Bishops that support the Queen in the procession may also ease her, by supporting the Crown, as there shall be occasion.
The Archbishop shall first ascend the steps of the Throne and kneel down before her Majesty, and the rest of the Bishops shall kneel in their places: and they shall do their Fealty together, for the shortening of the ceremony: and the Archbishop, placing his hands between the Queen's shall say:
I, Geoffrey, Archbishop of Canterbury
[and so every one of the rest,
I, N. Bishop of N.,
repeating the rest audibly after the Archbishop]
will be faithful and true,
and faith and truth will bear unto you,
our Sovereign Lady,
Queen of this Realm and Defender of the Faith,
and unto your heirs and successors according to law.
So help me God.
Then shall the Archbishop kiss the Queen's right hand. After which the Duke of Edinburgh shall ascend the steps of the Throne, and having taken off his coronet, shall kneel down before her Majesty, and placing his hands between the Queen's shall pronounce the words of Homage, saying:
I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
do become your liege man of life and limb,
and of earthly worship;
and faith and truth I will bear unto you,
to live and die, against all manner of folks.
So help me God.
And arising, he shall touch the Crown upon her Majesty's head and kiss her Majesty's left cheek.
In like manner shall the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent severally do their homage. After which the Senior Peer of each degree (of the Dukes first by themselves, and so of the Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts, and Barons in that order) shall ascend the steps of the Throne and, having first removed his coronet, shall kneel before her Majesty and place his hands between the Queen's: and all the peers of his degree, having put off their coronets, shall kneel in their places and shall say with him:
I, N. Duke, or Earl, etc., of N.
do become your liege man of life and limb,
and of earthly worship;
and faith and truth I will bear unto you,
to live and die, against all manner of folks.
So help me God.
This done, the Senior Peer shall rise, and, all the Peers of his degree rising also, he shall touch the Crown upon her Majesty's head, as promising by that ceremony for himself and his Order to be ever ready to support it with all their power; and then shall he kiss the Queen's right hand.
At the same time the choir shall sing these anthems, or some of them:
Rejoice in the Lord alway,
and again I say, rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men:
the Lord is even at hand.
Be careful for nothing:
but in all prayer and supplication, let your petitions be manifest unto God, with giving of thanks.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu.
John Redford.
O clap your hands together, all ye people:
O sing unto God with the voice of melody.
For the Lord is high and to be feared:
he is the great King of all the earth.
He shall subdue the people under us:
and the nations under our feet.
He shall choose out an heritage for us:
even the worship of Jacob, whom he loved.
Orlando Gibbons.
I will not leave you comfortless. Alleluia.
I will go away and come again to you. Alleluia.
And your heart shall rejoice. Alleluia.
William Byrd.
O Lord our Governour:
how excellent is thy Name in all the world.
Behold, O God our defender:
and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
O hold thou up her goings in thy paths:
that her footsteps slip not.
Grant the Queen a long life:
and make her glad with the joy of thy countenance.
Save Lord and hear us O King of heaven:
when we call upon thee. Amen.
Healey Willan.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee.
The darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as day:
the darkness and the light are to thee both alike.
God is light,
and in him is no darkness at all.
O let my soul live,
and it shall praise thee.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for evermore.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee.
Samuel Sebastian Wesley.
When the Homage is ended, the drums shall beat, and the trumpets sound, and all the people shout, crying out:
God save Queen ELIZABETH.
Long live Queen ELIZABETH.
May the Queen live for ever.
Then shall the Archbishop leave the Queen in her Throne and go to the Altar.
We pray for the Duke of Edinburgh who is due to have an exploratory operation today at The London Clinic.
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless Philip Duke of Edinburgh: Endue him with thy Holy Spirit; enrich him with thy heavenly grace; prosper him with all happiness; and bring him to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We now come to the 12th section of the service.
XII. The Benediction
And now the Queen having been thus anointed and crowned, and having received all the ensigns of Royalty, the Archbishop shall solemnly bless her: and the Archbishop of York and all the Bishops, with the rest of the Peers and all the people, shall follow every part of the Benediction with a loud and hearty Amen.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord protect you in all your ways
and prosper all your handywork. Amen.
The Lord give you faithful Parliaments and quiet Realms;
sure defence against all enemies;
fruitful lands and a prosperous industry;
wise counsellors and upright magistrates;
leaders of integrity in learning and labour;
a devout, learned and useful clergy;
honest peaceable and dutiful citizens. Amen.
May Wisdom and Knowledge be the Stability of your Times,
and the fear of the Lord your Treasure. Amen.
The Lord who hath made you Queen over these Peoples
give you increase of grace, honour and happiness in this world,
and make you partaker of his eternal felicity
in the world to come. Amen.
Then shall the Archbishop turn to the people and say:
And the same Lord God Almighty grant
that the Clergy and Nobles assembled here
for this great and solemn service,
and together with them all the Peoples of this Commonwealth,
fearing God, and honouring the Queen,
may by the gracious assistance of God's infinite goodness,
and by the vigilant care of his anointed servant,
our gracious Sovereign,
continually enjoy peace, plenty, and prosperity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with the eternal Father, and God the Holy Ghost,
be glory in the Church,
world without end. Amen.
We have now reached the 11th section of the service.
XI. The Putting on of the Crown
Then the people shall rise; and the Archbishop,
[St Edward's Crown.]
standing before the Altar, shall take the Crown into his hands, and laying it again before him upon the Altar, he shall say:
O God the Crown of the faithful:
Bless we beseech thee this Crown,
and so sanctify thy servant ELIZABETH
upon whose head this day thou dost place it
for a sign of royal majesty,
that she may be filled by thine abundant grace
with all princely virtues:
through the King eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then the Queen still sitting in King Edward's Chair, the Archbishop, assisted with other Bishops, shall come from the Altar: the Dean of Westminster shall bring the Crown, and the Archbishop taking it of him shall reverently put it upon the Queen's head. At the sight whereof the people, with loud and repeated shouts, shall cry,
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
The Princes and Princesses, the Peers and Peeresses shall put on their coronets and caps, and the Kings of Arms their crowns; and the trumpets shall sound, and by a signal given, the great guns at the Tower shall be shot off.
The acclamation ceasing, the Archbishop shall go on, and say:
God crown you with a crown of glory and righteousness,
that having a right faith and manifold fruit of good works,
you may obtain the crown of an everlasting kingdom
by the gift of him whose kingdom endureth for ever. Amen.
Then shall the choir sing:
Be strong and of a good courage:
keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
And the people shall remain standing until after the Homage be ended.
God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save The Queen!
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen!
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
STOP PRESS (8.00 PM)
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE WELFARE OF PRINCE PHILIP WHO HAS JUST BEEN ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL.
Prince Philip has been admitted to hospital for an exploratory operation, Buckingham Palace says.
He was admitted to the London Clinic "following abdominal investigations" and is expected to stay in the hospital for up to two weeks.
The Duke of Edinburgh will be 92 on Monday 10 June.
We now move to the 8th, 9th, and 10th sections of the service.
VIII. The Presenting of the Spurs and Sword, and the Oblation of the said Sword
The Spurs shall be brought from the Altar by the Dean of Westminster, and delivered to the Lord Great Chamberlain; who, kneeling down, shall present them to the Queen, who forthwith sends them back to the Altar.
Then the Lord who carries the Sword of State, delivering to the Lord Chamberlain the said Sword (which is thereupon deposited in Saint Edward's Chapel) shall receive from the Lord Chamberlain, in lieu thereof, another Sword in a scabbard which he shall deliver to the Archbishop: and the Archbishop shall lay it on the Altar and say:
Hear our prayers, O Lord, we beseech thee,
and so direct and support thy servant
Queen ELIZABETH,
that she may not bear the Sword in vain;
but may use it as the minister of God
for the terror and punishment of evildoers,
and for the protection and encouragement of those that do well,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then shall the Archbishop take the Sword from off the Altar, and (the Archbishop of York and the Bishops of London and Winchester assisting and going along with him) shall deliver it into the Queen's hands; and, the Queen holding it, the Archbishop shall say:
Receive this kingly Sword,
brought now from the Altar of God,
and delivered to you by the hands of us
the Bishops and servants of God, though unworthy.
With this sword do justice,
stop the growth of iniquity,
protect the holy Church of God,
help and defend widows and orphans,
restore the things that are gone to decay,
maintain the things that are restored,
punish and reform what is amiss,
and confirm what is in good order:
that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue;
and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life,
that you may reign for ever with him
in the life which is to come. Amen.
Then the Queen, rising up and going to the Altar, shall offer it there in the scabbard, and then return and sit down in King Edward's Chair: and the Peer, who first received the Sword, shall offer the price of it, namely, one hundred shillings, and having thus redeemed it, shall receive it from the Dean of Westminster, from off the Altar, and draw it out of the scabbard, and carry it naked before her Majesty during the rest of the solemnity.
Then the Archbishop of York and the Bishops who have assisted during the offering shall return to their places.
IX. The Investing with the Armills, the Stole Royal and the Robe Royal: and the Delivery of the Orb
Then the Dean of Westminster shall deliver the Armills to the Archbishop, who, putting them upon the Queen's wrists, shall say:
Receive the Bracelets of sincerity and wisdom,
both for tokens of the Lord's protection embracing you on every side;
and also for symbols and pledges
of that bond which unites you with your Peoples:
to the end that you may be strengthened in all your works
and defended against your enemies both bodily and ghostly,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Then the Queen arising, the Robe Royal or Pall of cloth of gold with the Stole Royal shall be delivered by the Groom of the Robes to the Dean of Westminster, and by him, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, put upon the Queen, standing; the Lord Great Chamberlain fastening the clasps. Then shall the Queen sit down, and the Archbishop shall say:
Receive this Imperial Robe,
and the Lord your God endue you with knowledge and wisdom,
with majesty and with power from on high;
the Lord clothe you with the robe of righteousness,
and with the garments of salvation. Amen.
The Delivery of the Orb
Then shall the Orb with the Cross be brought from the Altar by the Dean of Westminster and delivered into the Queen's right hand by the Archbishop, saying:
Receive this Orb set under the Cross,
and remember that the whole world
is subject to the Power and Empire
of Christ our Redeemer.
Then shall the Queen deliver the Orb to the Dean of Westminster, to be by him laid on the Altar.
X. The Investiture per annulum, et per sceptrum et baculum
Then the Keeper of the Jewel House shall deliver to the Archbishop the Queen's Ring, wherein is set a sapphire and upon it a ruby cross: the Archbishop shall put it on the fourth finger of her Majesty's right hand, and say:
Receive the Ring of kingly dignity,
and the seal of Catholic Faith:
and as you are this day
consecrated to be our Head and Prince,
so may you continue stedfastly
as the Defender of Christ's Religion;
that being rich in faith
and blessed in all good works,
you may reign with him who is the King of Kings,
to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Then shall the Dean of Westminster bring the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove to the Archbishop.
The Glove having been presented to the Queen, the Archbishop shall deliver the Sceptre with the Cross into the Queen's right hand, saying:
Receive the Royal Sceptre, the ensign of kingly power and justice.
And then he shall deliver the Rod with the Dove into the Queen's left hand, and say:
Receive the Rod of equity and mercy.
Be so merciful
that you be not too remiss,
so execute justice
that you forget not mercy.
Punish the wicked,
protect and cherish the just,
and lead your people
in the way wherein they should go.
Next we have a wonderful video of the great day in 1953 by Lord Wakehust.
We now move to the 7th Section of the Coronation Service.
VII. The Anointing
The Creed being ended, the Queen kneeling at her faldstool, and the people kneeling in their places, the Archbishop shall begin the hymn, VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS, and the choir shall sing it out.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
Who dost thy seven-fold gifts impart.
Thy blessed Unction from above
Is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
The dulness of our blinded sight.
Anoint and cheer our soiled face
With the abundance of thy grace:
Keep far our foes, give peace at home;
Where thou art guide, no ill can come.
Teach us to know the Father, Son
And thee, of both, to be but One;
That, through the ages all along,
This may be our endless song:
Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The hymn being ended, the Archbishop shall say:
LET US PRAY
O Lord and heavenly Father,
the exalter of the humble and the strength of thy chosen,
who by anointing with Oil didst of old
make and consecrate kings, priests, and prophets,
to teach and govern thy people Israel:
Bless and sanctify thy chosen servant ELIZABETH,
who by our office and ministry
is now to be anointed with this Oil,
Here the Archbishop is to lay his hand upon the Ampulla.
and consecrated Queen:
Strengthen her, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter;
Confirm and stablish her with thy free and princely Spirit,
the Spirit of wisdom and government,
the Spirit of counsel and ghostly strength,
the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness,
and fill her, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear,
now and for ever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This prayer being ended, and the people standing, the choir shall sing:
I Kings 1, 39, 40.
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon king;
and all the people rejoiced and said
God save the king,
Long live the king,
May the king live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah.
In the mean time, the Queen rising from her devotions, having been disrobed of her crimson robe by the Lord Great Chamberlain, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, and being uncovered, shall go before the Altar, supported and attended as before.
The Queen shall sit down in King Edward's Chair (placed in the midst of the Area over against the Altar, with a faldstool before it), wherein she is to be anointed. Four Knights of the Garter shall hold over her a rich pall of silk, or cloth of gold: the Dean of Westminster, taking the Ampulla and Spoon from off the Altar, shall hold them ready, pouring some holy Oil into the Spoon, and with it the Archbishop shall anoint the Queen in the form of a cross:
On the palms of both the hands, saying,
Be thy Hands anointed with holy Oil.
On the breast, saying,
Be thy Breast anointed with holy Oil.
On the crown of the head, saying,
Be thy Head anointed with holy Oil:
as kings, priests, and prophets were anointed:
And as Solomon was anointed king
by Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet,
so be thou anointed, blessed, and consecrated Queen
over the Peoples, whom the Lord thy God
hath given thee to rule and govern,
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
Then shall the Dean of Westminster lay the Ampulla and Spoon upon the Altar; and the Queen kneeling down at the faldstool, the Archbishop shall say this Blessing over her:
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of God,
who by his Father was anointed with the Oil of gladness
above his fellows,
by his holy Anointing pour down upon your Head and Heart
the blessing of the Holy Ghost,
and prosper the works of your Hands:
that by the assistance of his heavenly grace
you may govern and preserve
the Peoples committed to your charge
in wealth, peace, and godliness;
and after a long and glorious course
of ruling a temporal kingdom
wisely, justly, and religiously,
you may at last be made partaker of an eternal kingdom,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This prayer being ended, the Queen shall arise and sit down again in King Edward's Chair, while the Knights of the Garter bear away the pall; whereupon the Queen arising, the Dean of Westminster, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, shall put upon her Majesty the Colobium Sindonis and the Supertunica or Close Pall of cloth of gold, together with a Girdle of the same. Then shall the Queen again sit down; and after her, the people also.
A Service of Celebration in Westminster Abbey attended by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, and Members of the Royal Family will take place today at 11.00am. Here is a photo of the High Altar taken during the service.
Here are words of introduction by the Dean of Westminster:
On 2nd June 1953, the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II followed a
pattern established over the centuries since William the Conqueror was crowned in
Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. Our intention in this Service of
Thanksgiving is to evoke and reflect the shape of the Coronation service itself.
The Queen’s entrance was marked by the Choirs’ singing Psalm 122—I was glad—set
to music for the Coronation of EdwardVII by Sir Hubert Parry. The Queen’s Scholars
of Westminster School exercised their historic right to exclaimVivat Regina Elizabetha!
(‘Long live Queen Elizabeth!’); so it will be today.
The coronation service begins with theRecognition. The content of this part of the
service is, of course, not today what it was in 1953, but the intention is similar: to
recognise with thanksgiving the dutiful service offered over the past sixty years by our
gracious and noble Queen, and to continue to pray God save The Queen.
The Anointing is an act of consecration, a setting apart for royal and priestly service,
through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Ampulla from which the oil was poured rests
today on the High Altar as a reminder of that central act. St Edward’s Crown also rests
today on the High Altar as a powerful symbol of the moment of Coronation.
In today’s Service, a flask of Oil is carried by representatives of the people of the United
Kingdom to the Sacrarium, received by the Archbishop and placed by the Dean on the
High Altar. A prayer asks that all the people, by the grace of God through the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit, should be faithful to our calling, and active in God’s
service.
The Homage today is reflected in a poem written by the Poet Laureate for this
service, and a prayer that we—‘knowing whose authority [The Queen] hath’—may
continue faithfully to serve and honour her.
The coronation service has always been set within the context of the Holy
Communion, as it was in 1953. Holy Communion was historically known as the Holy
Eucharist, meaning Thanksgiving. Following Holy Communion and the Blessing
in 1953, the Choir sang a hymn of praise,Te Deum,set to music by William Walton. The
service today concludes with a hymn of thanksgiving and the Walton Te Deum.
It is our prayer that, in thanksgiving forThe Queen’s faithful service, we, her people,
may commit ourselves afresh to the service of God and of all his people.
John R Hall
Dean of Westminster
4th June 2013
Here we see Her Majesty chatting with the Dean. It has been a truly glorious day!
Psalm 84, 9, 10.
Behold, O God our defender:
and look upon the face of thine Anointed.
For one day in thy courts:
is better than a thousand.
Then, the Queen with the people kneeling, the Archbishop shall begin the Communion Service saying:
Almighty God,
unto whom all hearts be open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love thee,
and worthily magnify thy holy Name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Archbishop: Lord have mercy upon us.
Answer: Christ have mercy upon us.
Archbishop: Lord have mercy upon us.
LET US PRAY
O God,
who providest for thy people by thy power,
and rulest over them in love:
Grant unto this thy servant ELIZABETH, our Queen,
the Spirit of wisdom and government,
that being devoted unto thee with her whole heart,
she may so wisely govern,
that in her time thy Church may be in safety,
and Christian devotion may continue in peace;
that so persevering in good works unto the end,
she may by thy mercy come to thine everlasting kingdom;
through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
one God for ever and ever. Amen.
The Epistle
1 S. Peter 2, 13.
To be read by one of the Bishops.
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
The Gradual
Psalm 141, 2.
Let my prayer come up into thy presence as the incense:
and let the lifting up of my hands be as an evening sacrifice. Alleluia.
The Gospel
S. Matthew 22, 15.
To be read by another Bishop, the Queen with the people standing.
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not? But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? Shew me the tribute-money. And they brought unto him a penny. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Cæsar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's: and unto God the things that are God's. When they had heard these words they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
And the Gospel ended shall be sung the Creed following, the Queen with the people standing, as before.
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
And of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
Begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
Very God of very God,
Begotten, not made,
Being of one substance with the Father,
By whom all things were made:
Who for us men, and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
And was made man;
And was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried;
And the third day he rose again
according to the Scriptures,
And ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of the Father.
And he shall come again with glory
to judge both the quick and the dead:
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost,
The Lord and giver of life,
Who proceedeth from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together
is worshipped and glorified,
Who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church.
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead,
And the life of the world to come. Amen.
Here we see Her Majesty arriving at Westminster Abbey, 60 years ago today. She is about to enter the West Door of the Abbey for her Coronation. The service is in 17 parts. Today we shall recall the first 5 parts.
The Form and Order of Service that is to be performed and the Ceremonies that are to be observed in The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, on Tuesday, the second day of June, 1953
I. The Preparation
In the morning upon the day of the Coronation early, care is to be taken that the Ampulla be filled with Oil for the anointing, and, together with the Spoon, be laid ready upon the Altar in the Abbey Church.
The LITANY shall be be sung as the Dean and Prebendaries and the choir of Westminster proceed from the Altar to the west door of the Church.
The Archbishops being already vested in their Copes and Mitres and the Bishops Assistant in their Copes, the procession shall be formed immediately outside of the west door of the Church, and shall wait till notice be given of the approach of her Majesty, and shall then begin to move into the Church.
And the people shall remain standing from the Entrance until the beginning of the Communion Service.
II. The Entrance into the Church
The Queen, as soon as she enters at the west door of the Church, is to be received with this Anthem:
Psalm 122, 1–3, 6, 7.
I was glad when they said unto me:
We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates:
O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city:
that is at unity in itself.
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls:
and plenteousness within thy palaces.
The Queen shall in the mean time pass up through the body of the Church, into and through the choir, and so up the steps to the Theatre; and having passed by her Throne, she shall make her humble adoration, and then kneeling at the faldstool set for her before her Chair of Estate on the south side of the Altar, use some short private prayers; and after, sit down in her Chair.
The Bible, Paten, and Chalice shall meanwhile be brought by the Bishops who had borne them, and placed upon the Altar.
Then the Lords who carry in procession the Regalia, except those who carry the Swords, shall come from their places and present in order every one what he carries to the Archbishop, who shall deliver them to the Dean of Westminster, to be placed by him upon the Altar.
III. The Recognition
The Archbishop, together with the Lord Chancellor, Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord High Constable, and Earl Marshal (Garter King of Arms preceding them), shall then go to the East side of the Theatre, and after shall go to the other three sides in this order, South, West, and North, and at every of the four sides the Archbishop shall with a loud voice speak to the People: and the Queen in the mean while, standing up by King Edward's Chair, shall turn and show herself unto the People at every of the four sides of the Theatre as the Archbishop is at every of them, the Archbishop saying:
Sirs, I here present unto you
Queen ELIZABETH,
your undoubted Queen:
Wherefore all you who are come this day
to do your homage and service,
Are you willing to do the same?
The People signify their willingness and joy, by loud and repeated acclamations, all with one voice crying out,
GOD SAVE QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Then the trumpets shall sound.
IV. The Oath
The Queen having returned to her Chair (her Majesty having already on Tuesday, the fourth day of November, 1952, in the presence of the two Houses of Parliament, made and signed the Declaration prescribed by Act of Parliament), the Archbishop standing before her shall administer the Coronation Oath, first asking the Queen,
Madam, is your Majesty willing to take the Oath?
And the Queen answering,
I am willing,
The Archbishop shall minister these questions; and the Queen, having a book in her hands, shall answer each question severally as follows:
Archbishop: Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the Peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and of your Possessions and other Territories to any of them belonging or pertaining, according to their respective laws and customs?
Queen: I solemnly promise so to do.
Archbishop: Will you to your power cause Law and Justice, in Mercy, to be executed in all your judgements?
Queen: I will.
Archbishop: Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel?
Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law?
Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established in England?
And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?
Queen: All this I promise to do.
Then the Queen arising out of her Chair, supported as before, the Sword of State being carried before her, shall go to the Altar, and make her solemn Oath in the sight of
[The Bible to be brought.]
all the people to observe the premisses: laying her right hand upon the Holy Gospel in the great Bible (which was before carried in the procession and is now brought from the altar by the Archbishop, and tendered to her as she kneels upon the steps), and saying these words:
The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God.
[And a Silver Standish.]
Then the Queen shall kiss the Book and sign the Oath.
The Queen having thus taken her Oath, shall return again to her Chair, and the Bible shall be delivered to the Dean of Westminster.
V. The Presenting of the Holy Bible
When the Queen is again seated, the Archbishop shall go to her Chair; and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, receiving the Bible from the Dean of Westminster, shall bring it to the Queen and present it to her, the Archbishop saying these words:
Our gracious Queen:
to keep your Majesty ever mindful of the law and the Gospel of God
as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian Princes,
we present you with this Book,
the most valuable thing that this world affords.
And the Moderator shall continue:
Here is Wisdom;
This is the royal Law;
These are the lively Oracles of God.
Then shall the Queen deliver back the Bible to the Moderator, who shall bring it to the Dean of Westminster, to be reverently placed again upon the Altar. This done, the Archbishop shall return to the Altar.
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