Prince Edward reads pandemic message from Queen to General Synod

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The Queen, 95, missed the national assembly of the Church of England but was represented by the Earl of Wessex. The Queen, known to be religious, is the head of the Church of England with the title of Supreme Governor of the Church.

This is the first time in over 50 years of the General Synod’s history that the Queen has not been present to speak to gathered bishops at clergy at Church House, which is the Church of England base at Westminster.

The tradition over the past five decades has been that the Queen, coinciding with the diocesan elections, makes a visit to the Synod every five years.

Prince Edward, 57, in one of his infrequent public engagements, read his mother’s speech in her words: “It is hard to believe that it is over 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the very first meeting of the General Synod.

“None of us can slow the passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in the intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and his teachings.”

With the diocesan elections postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, it was apt that the Queen’s speech addressed the impact of COVID-19 on the Church.

The Earl of Wessex read: “For people of faith, the last few years have been particularly hard, with unprecedented restrictions in accessing the comfort and reassurance of public worship.

“For many, it has been a time of anxiety, of grief, and of weariness.”

He added: “Yet the Gospel has brought hope, as it has done throughout the ages; and the Church has adapted and continued its ministry, often in new ways – such as digital forms of worship.”

The Queen’s sentiments were clearly conveyed by her son despite her absence from the event, following a last-minute cancellation of her planned attendance at the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph over the weekend.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said that the Queen was “disappointed” to miss the service, but, “having sprained her back, [she] has decided this morning with great regret that she will not be able to attend today’s Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph.”

The Palace had previously described Her Majesty’s “firm intention” to attend after missing a slew of public engagements since the latter half of October.

The Queen spent a night in hospital in central London on October 20, but returned home to Windsor Castle promptly after preliminary tests.

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It was her first overnight stint in hospital in eight years.

It followed a last-minute cancellation to her planned visit to Northern Ireland earlier in October, where she was to attend a service in Armagh to mark the centenary of the creation of Northern Ireland.

Her Majesty also opted to address the delegates of the COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow via pre-recorded message, rather than travel to Scotland with other senior royals.

The Queen’s absence at these high-profile meetings – instead represented by members of the Royal Family in her stead – has highlighted a pattern of senior royals stepping up and taking on increased responsibility as the Queen’s health falters.

Prince Edward’s sister, Princess Anne, travelled to Northern Ireland in the Queen’s place, and the Prince of Wales, along with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince Harry with the Duchess of Cambridge, made the journey to Glasgow.

Prince Edward, however, has maintained a lower profile in comparison to the rest of the Queen’s children.

He married Sophie, Countess of Wessex, in 1999, before the Queen’s son became styled as an earl, rather than a prince.

The couple’s two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn, therefore have not had the HRH titles to which they could be entitled, and the family have stayed away from the spotlight often shone on their senior royal relatives.

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