Abbey Celebrates Coronation Anniversary

Tuesday, 4th June 2013

Abbey Celebrates Coronation Anniversary

Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh attended Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 4th June 2013 for A Service to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen was accompanied by TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, HRH Prince Henry of Wales, HRH The Duke of York with TRH Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York, TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex with The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, HRH The Princess Royal with Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence and Mrs and Mrs Peter Phillips and Mr and Mrs Mike Tindall, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent and TRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

The service was conducted by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, who said in his Bidding:

Sixty years ago, in this holy place, Queen Elizabeth II was anointed with holy oil, clothed with sacred garments, and, after receiving symbols of authority, crowned with the Crown of St Edward, King and Confessor, just as Her Majesty’s royal predecessors from 1066.
Here today we gather to give thanks to almighty God for the faithful ministry and dutiful service The Queen continues to offer God and the people of this Nation, the Overseas Territories and the Realms, and as Head of the Commonwealth.
As we pray for Her Majesty, for The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family in health and wealth long to live, and for peace and prosperity throughout these lands, so shall we pray for the grace of God, that we too may offer our lives in faithful service and whole-hearted commitment for the good of our communities and nations.

Before the service the Ampulla and the Crown of St Edward were brought from the Tower of London and placed on the High Altar. A detachment of the Queen’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard and of Her Majesty’s Honourable Corps of Gentleman at Arms was in attendance.

During the service a procession of representatives of the United Kingdom brought a flask of anointing oil from the Great West Door to the Sacrarium where it was received by the Archbishop of Canterbury and placed on the High Altar by the Dean.

The procession was Salma Mukhtar (8), Alexander Quinney (6), Jenny Pathmarajah (Queen’s guide), Barry Henderson (Naval Officer), Ruth Holt (Nurse), Victoria Adom (School Crossing Patrol Officer), Dr Jacqueline Cockburn (Teacher), The Hon. Mr Justice Cooke, The Lord Wallace of Saltaire and Margery Cole (Chelsea pensioner) and Patrick Cody (Chelsea pensioner).

The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David Cameron MP, read 1 Kings 1: 32-40 and HE Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary General, read St Mark 10: 35-45.

The Address was given by The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan.

Claire Skinner read The Crown by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy from St George’s Chapel beside the Coronation Chair.

Prayers were led by the Venerable Dr Jane Hedges, Canon Steward and Archdeacon of Westminster and said by: the Reverend Gareth Morgan, President of the Free Churches in Wales; the Right Reverend Lorna Hood, Moderator, the General Assembly, the Church of Scotland; the Right Reverend Dr Richard Chartres KCVO, Bishop of London and Dean of Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal; the Right Reverend Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, the Lutheran Church in Great Britain and Co-President, Churches Together in England; the Most Reverend George Stack, Archbishop of Cardiff; the Very Reverend Dr John Cairns, Dean, Her Majesty’s Chapels Royal, Scotland; and the Reverend Michael Macey, Minor Canon and Precentor of Westminster.

The service was sung by the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, conducted by the Abbey’s Organist and Master of the Choristers James O’Donnell. The choirs sang an anthem commissioned for the service from the composer Bob Chilcott through the generosity of many who sang as choristers at the Coronation in 1953.

The organ was played by the Assistant Organist, Martin Ford and, before the service, by the Organ Scholar Peter Holder.

The Fanfare Trumpeters of the Welsh Guards, directed by Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Barnwell, Senior Director of Music, Household Division, were also present.

The bells of the Abbey Church were rung by the Westminster Abbey Company of Ringers.

See also:

The Order of Service

The Address given by the Archbishop of Canterbury

TAGS
Royal Visit | Special Service | HM The Queen | HRH The Duke of Edinburgh | HRH The Prince of Wales | HRH The Duchess of Cornwall | HRH Prince Henry of Wales | HRH The Duchess of Cambridge | HRH The Duke of Cambridge | HRH The Duke of York | HRH Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York | HRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex | Lady Louise Windsor | HRH The Princess Royal | Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence | HRH The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester | HRH The Duke and Duchess of Kent | HRH Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
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