Britain’s Queen Elizabeth missed the Church of England’s national assembly on Tuesday, marking her first absence from the event in 51 years, reported The daily mail.
The Queen was represented at the event by her youngest son Prince Edward, who conveyed the 95-year-old monarch’s touching message to dignitaries in attendance on his behalf.
“It is hard to believe that it has been over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first General Synod meeting… None of us can slow the passage of time,” she said in her message.
The meeting of the General Synod meets every five years, a fact underlined by Her Majesty in her declaration in which she declared that the years to come “will not always be easy”.
“In some areas there will, of course, be divergent views and I hope you will be strengthened by the certainty of God’s love as you work together and draw inspiration from the tradition of unity in the communion of the Church for the tasks to come. ,” she said.
The Queen also praised the Church for its innovation during the pandemic.
“… For believers, the past few years have been particularly hard, with unprecedented restrictions on access to comfort and public worship. For many, it was a time of anxiety, grief and weariness. Yet the gospel has brought hope.
Queen Elizabeth’s absence from the event was announced last week by the Palace.
“In view of recent advice from her doctors, the queen has decided not to attend the general synodal service and the opening session on Tuesday, November 16,” the statement read.