Months before her Coronation in 1953 Elizabeth II asked for the people of of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth to:

Pray that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.

Queen Elizabeth II was a good and faithful servant to the people she was appointed to serve. Queen Elizabeth attributed to God her ability to faithfully carry out her duties. She sought to live by the example of humble servanthood demonstrated by Jesus. She lived by faith in Jesus, in the sure hope of the resurrection life.

I draw strength from the message of hope in the Christian gospel.

In her 2012 Christmas broadcast Queen Elizabeth spoke these words:

This is the time of year when we remember that God sent his only son ‘to serve, not to be served’. He restored love and service to the centre of our lives in the person of Jesus Christ. It is my prayer this Christmas Day that his example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.

Amen.

Allison