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09 September 2015

The Queen's faith is celebrated as she becomes Britain's longest-serving monarch

The Queen has become Britain’s longest reigning monarch, and the Evangelical Alliance is praising her commitment to her faith and making the UK “Christian in fact as well as in name”.

Queen Elizabeth II today surpasses Queen Victoria by ruling for 63 years.

Coins with the Queen’s portrait have “ELIZABETH II D.G REG. F.D” written around her head, which means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, defender of the faith – a role she has publically embraced.

From her Christmas speeches to her weekly church attendance, the Queen takes inspiration from her faith to carry out this role she accepted aged 25.

The Evangelical Alliance’s archive show its connection with the royal family, through prayer and dedication services arranged for monarchs, days of intersessions organised around their coronation and correspondence.

While organising the World Evangelical Alliance’s exhibition, organisers received a letter from the Queen, who was still a princess at the time.

In the letter, she sent her good wishes for the success of the exhibition, along with her “congratulations on maintaining the vision and enterprise which have always been a characteristic of the Alliance for more than 100 years, and which find a worthy expression today”.

The royal went on to describe the British way of life – “that cherished inheritance” – as finding its source and inspiration in Christian ideals.

“I can truly say that the King and I long to see the Bible back where it ought to be, as a guide and comfort in the homes and lives of our people. From our own experience, we know what the Bible can mean for personal life.”

Ahead of the Queen’s coronation on 2 June 1953, the World Evangelical Alliance organised a service of prayer and dedication at the Royal Albert Hall.

On Monday, 1 June, at 7pm, the Alliance gathered Christians to pray over the Queen’s life and service, the Commonwealth and the Church.

The Evangelical Alliance continues to pray about those who lead this country, and encourages its members to do the same. The work during the general election, as a part of the Show Up campaign, urged Christians to engage beyond the ballot box. The Public Leadership programme encourages Christians to get involved in positions of power.

Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: “Congratulations to the Queen for reaching the milestone of becoming the longest-serving monarch. We are so grateful to Her Majesty for her Christian witness over the years; her commitment to God and country. She is an amazing example of servant-hearted public leadership and an example to us all.”