Queen's 90th birthday service to celebrate her 'humble devotion to Christ'

A national thanksgiving service will be held for the Queen's 90th birthday to celebrate her "humble devotion to Christ".

The Prime Minister will read from the New Testament during the service at St Paul's Cathedral on Friday and the Archbishop of Canterbury will preach a sermon in commemoration of the Queen's life.

Tributes to her Christian faith will be littered throughout the service, according to briefing notes released to journalists.

The first hymn will be 'O Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness', which was chosen to recall "the Queen's Christian faith and her humble devotion to Christ". The Old Testament reading taken from Psalm 139 was chosen because it speaks "of God knowing us even before we are born and remaining with us at every stage of our lives".

This will be followed by a reading by David Cameron from Luke 12. This passage was chosen because it "encourages us not to worry about the things that God will supply for us but to focus on our faith in God's Kingdom – a focus which the Queen has observed throughout her life".

The service will be attended by a number of politicians and members of the royal family, and will reflect all aspects of the Queen's life, as well as her faith.

Representatives from all major Christian denominations in the UK will be present as well as representatives of other faiths. As part of the service they will offer "an act of thanksgiving for everything the Queen stands for", which will be led by the Bishop of London.

The prayers, led by six people, will feature descriptions of God taken from the book of Psalms.

The service will incidentally fall on the day of the Duke of Edinburgh's 95th birthday and a special reference will be made to that. 

The occasion will also be Sadiq Khan's first appearance at St Paul's Cathedral as the new Mayor of London. David Attenborough and the creator of Paddington Bear, Michael Bond, will offer "reflections on the passing of the years" near the end of the service. Both are celebrated figures in British culture as well as being fellow nonagenerians.

Attenborough and Bond's contributions mark a series of three items in the service intended as birthday gifts for the Queen. Another gift is an anthem specially written by Judith Weir which speaks of the "human desire to mirror divine creativity with our own humble efforts".

The Queen is Britain's longest reigning monarch after she surpassed the record of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victora on 9 September 2015. She was crowned on 2 June 1953. 

related articles
The Queen at 90: She deserves more than patronising fondness

The Queen at 90: She deserves more than patronising fondness

10 quotes on faith from Queen Elizabeth II
10 quotes on faith from Queen Elizabeth II

10 quotes on faith from Queen Elizabeth II

The Queen, Cameron and Welby: A metaphor for Church-state relations
The Queen, Cameron and Welby: A metaphor for Church-state relations

The Queen, Cameron and Welby: A metaphor for Church-state relations

The Queen is a lover of George Formby and show tunes – as well as Christian hymns
The Queen is a lover of George Formby and show tunes – as well as Christian hymns

The Queen is a lover of George Formby and show tunes – as well as Christian hymns

News
Which type of tree did Zacchaeus actually climb?
Which type of tree did Zacchaeus actually climb?

20 April is the feast day of Zacchaeus of Jericho. We all know the account of Zacchaeus climbing a tree to see Jesus. However, it turns out not to have been a sycamore tree at all. This is the story …

Joseph Duggar of '19 Kids and Counting' arrested for child molestation
Joseph Duggar of '19 Kids and Counting' arrested for child molestation

Former “19 Kids and Counting” star Joseph Duggar, whose older brother Josh Duggar is currently serving time in prison for receiving and possessing child pornography, has been arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Bangladesh Christian leaders express cautious hope under new government
Bangladesh Christian leaders express cautious hope under new government

Bangladesh’s new government has prompted cautious optimism among Christian leaders, who say recent political changes offer a potential opening for greater religious freedom even as concerns remain over security, justice and political pressure.

Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?

It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.