HMS Westminster at the Abbey
Monday, 18th March 2013
The Commanding Officer and Ship’s Company of HMS Westminster, together with the Lord Mayor and Councillors of the City of Westminster, attended Matins at Westminster Abbey on Sunday 17th March 2013.
They were welcomed to the Abbey by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall.
The sermon was given by the Venerable Dr Jane Hedges, Canon-in-Residence.
The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Angela Harvey, read Isaiah 35 and Captain Hugh Beard RN, Commanding Officer, HMS Westminster, read Romans 7: 21-8: 4.
The service was sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by the Organist and Master of the Choristers, James O’Donnell. The organ was played by Martin Ford, Assistant Organist. Before the service the organ was played by Peter Holder, Organ Scholar.
Before the service the Ship’s Company exercised its Freedom of the City with a parade in the Sanctuary outside the Abbey at which the Lord Mayor took the salute.
HMS Westminster is currently in and around the UK regenerating for her next deployment midway through 2013. In 2012 she completed a patrol which clocked up more than 44,000 miles. The warship conducted anti-piracy patrols during which she stopped three groups of suspected pirates who were targeting merchant shipping and the biggest drugs haul in the RN’s history (£17 million). HMS Westminster also paid goodwill visits across the region from Aqaba in Jordan to Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania, and took part in numerous exercises with coalition and allied forces. Later this year, HMS Westminster departs for the Gulf. During her deployment she will carry out defence engagements, help build the capacities of other nations’ maritime forces, promote key strategic partnerships with friendly and neutral states in the region.
See alsoThe Order of Service (PDF, 2.3 MB)
