Statement regarding Queen Elizabeth II

We join many others in mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II who served this country so well for such a long period of time. But we also give thanks to God for her long life and her faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour. One of the first charities to which she pledged patronage after her royal accession in 1952 was the Council of Christians and Jews, founded ten years earlier in the middle of World War Two by Archbishop William Temple and Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz.  As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she maintained her commitment to standing with the Jewish people throughout her reign, ensuring that Britain would not only tolerate but treasure its Jewish population.

Queen Elizabeth II - photo from Royal Family Twitter account.

Given Her Majesty’s public and devout faith, there can be no doubt she would have liked to visit the Holy Land.  Sadly, despite her official visits all over the Middle East, she never went to Israel, as her royal visits were determined by the Foreign Office.  However, not long after the Brexit vote of 2016, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson finally approved an invitation by President Rivlin for a royal visit to mark the centenary of the 1917 Balfour Declaration.  The Queen graciously gave her support to her grandson Prince William who carried out a very successful visit in mid-2018.

The Queen’s mother-in-law, Princess Alice, is buried on the Mount of Olives, having been recognised as ‘righteous among the nations’ for rescuing a Jewish family in Athens during the war.  Prince Philip and their sons Charles and Edward made unofficial visits to Israel in 1994, 1995 and 2007 respectively.  But by her own choice, throughout her long life the Queen daily honoured and annually declared her personal devotion to the King of Kings, Jesus of Nazareth.  Having put her trust in the one who abolished death and became the firstfruits of resurrection, we pray she may rest in peace and rise in glory when her own king returns to Jerusalem.  May her memory be for a blessing.

This statement is based on the one made by `Love Never Fails`.