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The queen, whose state funeral is on 19 September, spoke often, openly, and with conviction about her deep faith during her 96 years of life.

Rev. Prof. Iain Torrance, a Scottish theologian who was once a chaplain to Queen Elizabeth, met her in 1977 when his father, Thomas F. Torrance, was moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and preached at the Queen's Silver Jubilee.

Chaplain to the queen 

"In 2001, I was appointed a chaplain to the queen, and in 2013 I was appointed dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland. I preached many times in Crathie Kirk and often had probing private conversations with Queen Elizabeth," Torrance said. 

The Church of England is a member church of the WCC.

"It has been said that she depended on “Three Rocks:” her husband, Prince Philip; her health; and her faith.

"The queen was a person of profound faith. This underpinned everything she did. While I cannot and would not refer to private conversations, I can point to her remarkable Christmas broadcasts in which she frequently drew on her Christian convictions."

The Good Samaritan

Her humanity shone in 2004 when she said, "For me as a Christian, one of the most important of these teachings is contained in the parable of the Good Samaritan, when Jesus answers the question, 'Who is my neighbour?'

"It is a timeless story of a victim of a mugging who was ignored by his own countrymen but helped by a foreigner—and a despised foreigner at that.

"The implication drawn by Jesus is clear. Everyone is our neighbour, no matter what race, creed, or colour. The need to look after a fellow human being is far more important than any cultural or religious differences."

Then, in her 2008 broadcast, the queen said, "I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth, who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish, and sacrificial life.

"Countless millions of people worldwide continue to celebrate his birthday at Christmas, inspired by his teaching. He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served."

Another chaplain to the queen

A later Chaplain to the queen, Oxted team rector in the south of England, Rev. Canon Anna Eltringham, was appointed to her post in 2020.

"The last time I sang the National Anthem was at Southwark Cathedral at a special Platinum Jubilee Evensong. I was in my red cassock and proud to serve as one of Her Majesty's chaplains even though I never got the chance to meet her. As I sang that day, genuinely, my eyes filled with tears," said Eltringham. 

"I am so deeply grateful to have grown up under such a humble, hardworking, loyal, spiritual, non-judgemental, kind, and funny woman. What an inspiration she was and will always be. May she rest in the most glorious eternal peace in the arms of her God."

As a testimony to the queen's faith, Eltringham recalled testimony from Rev. Christopher Chessun, bishop of Southwark, on Elizabeth's death.

"Our beloved queen will be remembered for her devotion to her peoples, to this nation and to the Commonwealth of Nations, and there will be opportunities in the coming days and weeks for us all to express our heartfelt thanks for her life and example," said the bishop.

"Her Christian faith and witness has been an inspiration to us all."