The Archbishop of Canterbury has today paid special tribute to the Queen, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, to mark her 90th birthday.
Archbishop Justin Welby, who regularly meets the Queen as part of his official duties, said: "I wish Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday. I am thankful to God for her ceaseless and faithful service, rooted in deep Christian faith."
Welcoming the Queen to the General Synod of the Church of England last November, the Archbishop said: "As we seek to take counsel together here to discern the mind of Christ for the Church of England, and for those whom we serve in this land, we shall draw strength from knowing that Your Majesty's prayers will be with us."
He continued: "For our part it will remain our earnest concern to pray that Almighty God will continue to replenish Your Majesty with the grace of the Holy Spirit, enduing her plenteously with all heavenly gifts."
A few days ago, the Archbishop also took part in a video recording at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka, Zambia, where he had been meeting other church leaders at the latest Anglican Consultative Council. On behalf of the worldwide Anglican Communion, the delegates gave a rousing "three cheers for Her Majesty".
Also last year, the Archbishop and the Queen attended the 800th anniversary celebration of the Magna Carta at Runnymede in Surrey.
Archbishop Welby said: "The vision of the dignity of the human being, however limited that vision is, in Magna Carta sets a standard for our consideration of all human beings – however important or unimportant, near or far, they may seem to be."
He admitted: "In the centuries since, how often the Church and others have failed to uphold these most noble qualities, to be an advocate for those members of our community for whom the rights and liberties of Magna Carta have remained a distant hope.
"From the support for enclosures to the opposition to the Great Reform Act, to the toleration of all sorts of abuse, with humility we recognise these failings.
"But I pray that today will be a moment of opportunity in which our commitment to the liberty and flourishing of one another, the bond between us that allows us to recognise our individual human dignity, is renewed and will never again fail."
He also noted: "As the path to Magna Carta and our history since lays bare, the relationship between the Church and the State has not always been easy. In my own cathedral in Canterbury, at the Altar of the Sword's Point, the site of the martyrdom of Becket, I am reminded of what happens when this relationship collapses.
"Together, as critical friends, we must seek the principled and active betterment of society as a whole, ensuring that all the rights and liberties afforded to them, both in our legal system and in our inherent worth as children of God, are, in the words of Magna Carta, enjoyed in their entirety, with lasting strength, forever."
