The national service of thanksgiving included Bible readings, anthems, prayers and congregational hymns expressing thankfulness for the Queen's 70-year reign. The New Testament lesson, from the fourth chapter of St Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, was read by Boris Johnson,[1] who, on his arrival, had been booed by the crowds.[3]
In his sermon, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, remarked that the Queen, a horse-lover, was "still in the saddle" after 70 years on the throne and thanked her for "staying the course". He praised her as an example of "staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faithfulness to God, an obedience to a vocation that is a bedrock of her life".[1][2]
After the service, Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country at 16 tonnes, rang for four hours.[1] It was the first royal occasion for which it had been rung since its restoration in 2021.[6]
Guests
On 2 June, it was announced that the Queen would not be attending the service as she had experienced "some discomfort" while watching the Trooping of the Colour parade the previous day.[7] The Archbishop of Canterbury, who had been due to officiate, and the Duke of York also did not attend as they had tested positive for COVID-19.[2]
In addition to the members of the British royal family, senior politicians and members of the diplomatic corps listed below, the 2,000-strong congregation included 400 health workers, public servants and charity representatives, in recognition of their community service during the Queen's reign.[1][2]
The service was notable as the first public engagement in the United Kingdom by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since they stepped down as working royals in 2020.[1]
^ a b c d e fBBC News, "Platinum Jubilee: Queen celebrated at service for 'staying the course'" Archived 3 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ a b c dThe Guardian, "Queen's absence strikes symbolic note as royals gather at jubilee service" Archived 4 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^The Guardian, "Boris Johnson booed as he arrives at St Paul’s for platinum jubilee event" Archived 3 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^ a bSt Paul's Cathedral, Order of Service Archived 3 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
^"Platinum Jubilee celebrations". St Paul's Cathedral. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^"Updates on Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Weekend". The Royal Family. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 May 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
^BBC, "Platinum Jubilee: Queen pulls out of St Paul's Cathedral service" Archived 4 June 2022 at the Wayback Machine, 3 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^"Queen Elizabeth II: Archbishop of York recalls doing jigsaw with Queen". BBC News. 10 September 2022.
^ a b c d e f g h i j"In pictures: Harry and Meghan join royals for National Service of Thanksgiving". BBC News. 3 June 2022. Archived from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
^Petter, Olivia (3 June 2022). "Platinum Jubilee: Carrie Johnson wears red fitted dress and matching hat for Thanksgiving Service". The Independent. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^Evans, Greg (3 June 2022). "Priti Patel compared to Dolores Umbridge for her shocking pink Jubilee outfit". Indy100. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^Stevenson, Meil; Ainsworth, Richard (3 June 2022). "Platinum Jubilee Day 2 in pictures: Royals attend moving thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^ a b c d e f g hOsborne, Samuel (3 June 2022). "Who was at the Queen's Jubilee service of thanksgiving? Royal Family joined by Harry, Meghan and politicians past and present". Sky News. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^Webster, Laura (3 June 2022). "Nicola Sturgeon attends St Paul's service after paying tribute to Queen on her Platinum Jubilee". The National. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^Duggan, Joe; Blackall, Molly (3 June 2022). "Boris Johnson booed by crowd at St Paul's as he arrives for Platinum Jubilee thanksgiving service". i. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^Noble, Phil (3 June 2022). "Queen Elizabeth II skips Platinum Jubilee church service". The Brunswick News. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^"Governor General to Attend Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in London". The Governor General of Canada. 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^"London, United Kingdom". The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
^"Governor-General's Visit To The UK For The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Week". Scoop. 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
^"G-G Attends Queen's Platinum Jubilee". Loop. 4 June 2022. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.