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Queen and Duke of Edinburgh celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary

The Order of Service at Westminster Abbey; Music before the service - Ashley Grote, assistant organist, plays Sonata No 2 Op 87a in B flat, The Severn Suite, Edward Elgar (introduction arranged by Ivor Atkins); Toccata; Fugue; Cadenza, Coda; Sonata V BWV 529, Johann Sebastian Bach; Allegro Largo, Allegro; Crown Imperial, William Walton; Fantasy on St Columba, Kenneth Leighton, The King of Love My Shepherd is; Jesus bleibet meine Freude, Johann Sebastian Bach, from Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben BWV 147; Bridal March, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, from The Birds of Aristophanes (arranged by Walter Alcock)

Order of service

All remain standing. The choir sings The Introit, William McKie, Psalm 48: 8-9; 118: 25b, organist of Westminster Abbey, 1941-63. Composed for the wedding of Her Royal Highness the Princess Elizabeth and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, November 20, 1947. All remain standing to sing the hymn, O Praise Ye the Lord, during which the collegiate procession, together with Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, moves to places in the South Lantern, Quire, and Sacrarium Laudate Dominum 427NEH, Henry Williams Baker, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry after Psalm 150 from the anthem Hear My Words, Ye People (introductory fanfare by James O’Donnell after Parry, last verse brass arrangement by Richard Barnes). All remain standing.

The Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, says the bidding: “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” “Welcome to the Collegiate Church of St Peter’s Westminster, where 60 years ago began the marriage of our Sovereign Lady the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. With them we give thanks to Almighty God that, as we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. We give thanks for God’s continuing blessing on their life together . . . Let us complete these thanksgivings and prayers in the words our Saviour gave us: The Lord’s Prayer.” All sit. The Right Rev Sheilagh Kesting, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, reads Isaiah 61: 8b-11. All remain seated. The choir sings Psalm 67, Edward Bairstow. His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales reads 1 John 4: 7-16. All stand to sing the hymn, Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney 137 NEH Italian, Bianco da Siena, Ralph Vaughan Williams, translated by Richard Frederick Littledale).

All sit for the address by the Most Rev and Right Honourable Dr Rowan Williams, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and Metropolitan. All remain seated. Choir sings These Three (Richard Rodney Bennett from 1 Corinthians 13, commissioned by Dean and Chapter for this service).

The Rev Graeme Napier, minor canon of Westminster, leads the prayers; then the Most Rev Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales; Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Salvation Army; the Most Rev Gerard Clifford, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh; the Rev Mary Buchanan, United Reformed Church; the minor canon concludes. All stand to sing the hymn The Lord’s My Shepherd (Crimond 459 NEH Psalm 23, melody by Jessie Seymour Irvine in Scottish Psalter 1650, descant by William Baird Ross).

All sit. Dame Judi Dench reads Diamond Wedding (Andrew Motion, composed for this service). All stand. The Choir sings Deus Caritas, I John 4: 16 (James O’Donnell, after the plainsong antiphon, Ubi caritas et amor, composed for this service). The Archbishop prays for Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. All remain standing. The choir sings The Aaronic Blessing (John Rutter, Numbers 6: 24-26).

The Dean pronounces the blessing. All remain standing to sing the National Anthem (Thesaurus Musicus, arranged by Gordon Jacob). All remain standing. Dean invites Her Majesty and His Royal Highness to view the Abbey’s register, in which the registration of their wedding on November 20, 1947, is displayed.

Music after the service: Toccata in F BuxWV 156 (Dietrich Buxtehude).

Full story at The Times.