Guests and dignitaries have taken their seats at St Paul’s Cathedral for a jubilee service of thanksgiving for the Queen, which the monarch will not attend.
The Prince of Wales will step in for his 96-year-old mother after she pulled out after experiencing “some discomfort” during Thursday’s celebrations.
Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to attend, publicly reuniting with Prince William for the first time since their departure to the United States. Prince Andrew will not be present after testing positive for Covid-19.
Outside the cathedral, hundreds of people gathered, many waving union flags.
Dame Sarah Mullally, who will be leading the blessing, told the BBC: “I’m excited, I think.” She said the Queen’s Christian faith had “always shaped her” and she felt privileged to “give thanks” to the Queen for her service.
Among those attending the service will be Boris Johnson, Labour’s Keir Starmer, Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, and 400 honour recipients, among them NHS key workers recognised for their work during the pandemic.
The archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has described his job of delivering the sermon as a “slightly terrifying gig”, having stepped in at the 11th hour after Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, contracted Covid.
Cottrell, who has preached in church in the Queen’s presence, told BBC’s Radio 4 programme he was confident the Queen “wants to hear about the Christian faith, which is what has motivated her and sustained her throughout her life, throughout her reign.”
He said: “I think what I have seen in the Queen is somebody who is so shaped by her Christian faith that, in small ways and large ways, she has simply tried to live that out. I think that has been a hugely impressive example right at the heart of our national life for 70 years.”
