It’s no secret that the Queen’s faith in Jesus Christ was of central importance to her. But very little has been written about the particular character of her Christian commitment, or how it fuelled her vision for her role, the nation, and the Commonwealth. The Queen’s vision for citizenship is shaped by two main ideas – service and neighbour-love. Both are at the heart of her own life and Christian living, but you don’t have to be a Christian to think that they’re important. Neither are necessarily distinctively Christian. But the Queen’s presentation of them is. She roots her understanding of these two concepts in the life and teaching of Christ. It’s important to note that she didn’t need to do that. After all, an appeal to selfless service and generous neighbourliness is hardly controversial, even if it is rarer than we would like. Again and again, however, often quoting the Bible, she makes it clear that Christ’s life and teaching shape her vision of what service and neighbour-love look like and what it takes to live them out. To celebrate the Queen’s Christian faith, churches across the UK were encouraged to bring their communities together to join the festivities, plan street parties of their own, and special church services of thanksgiving.

But however smooth or eloquent, it’s unlikely any eulogy will sum her up better than the title of that book. Though she was herself a queen, Her Majesty always knew she had a sovereign and that he loved her, died for her, had forgiven her, and now called her to live a life of loving service in response. She may have been a queen, but she saw herself first and foremost as the subject of the King. “Billions of people follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives,” she once said. “I am one of them.” Published by Bible Society UK (for whom the Queen is Patron), HOPE and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, the Queen has personally written the foreword. In it she says, “I am touched that Bible Society, HOPE and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity have published this book to celebrate my 90th birthday. In my first Christmas broadcast in 1952, I asked the people of the Commonwealth and Empire to pray for me as I prepared to dedicate myself to their service at my Coronation. I have been – and remain – very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for his steadfast love. I have indeed seen his faithfulness.” The Queen is quoting Jesus’ words from Mark 10:45: ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’ Here the inclusion of ‘love’ in the sentence is telling. Her understanding of service is not limited to some dour, clenched-teeth sense of duty, but is rooted in compassion. Vitally, for her, service is not some leisure-time activity, not expressed only in volunteering to help out in a homeless shelter or take a meal to a neighbour, though she affirms all such activities. Rather, it is ‘central’. It is the fountain from which all else flows. It is the very posture of her life, and it derives from her understanding not only of Jesus’ own character but of his mission – Christ is seeking to form people who are selfless, other-oriented, servant-hearted – whatever their status, job, or role. Mark Greene, the Executive Director of LICC and principal author of the book, says about his inspiration for the project: 'It was a penny-drop moment for me. I always knew the Queen was a Christian but it’s the way she lives it – here’s a global leader under constant media scrutiny, working in a multi-cultural, multi-faith, politically-correct society, who’s brilliant at her job and utterly clear and unashamed about her beliefs. The Commonwealth bears no resemblance to the empires of the past. It is an entirely new conception built on the highest qualities of the spirit of man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace. To that new conception of an equal partnership of nations and races I shall give myself heart and soul every day of my life.’

Get a FREE eBook to strengthen your family discipleship!

Her music taste includes the loveable larrikin George Formby and 'Oklahoma' sung by Howard Keel. Her top ten includes Vera Lynn 'The White Cliffs of Dover" and the hymns "Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven" and "The Lord is My Shepherd." The book was designed to be a conversation-starter and a gift from churches to their local communities. It proved so popular in Britain that the Bible Society reprinted a further 150,000 copies on top of the original 100,000. For Elizabeth, Christ’s ‘formula’ works in the real world. Indeed, one of the things she admires about Christ’s teaching is that it is practical. Faith in him should lead to works for him, works that have a particular selfless character.

I was so deeply touched that you should have invited me to return to Barbados and to join you, on behalf of The Queen… As your constitutional status changes, it was important to me that I should join you to reaffirm those things which do not change. For example, the close and trusted partnership between Barbados and the United Kingdom as vital members of the Commonwealth; our common determination to defend the values we both cherish and to pursue the goals we share; and the myriad connections between the people of our countries – through which flow admiration and affection, co-operation and opportunity – strengthening and enriching us all.’ The Servant Queen and the King She Serves' was published by the Bible Society, HOPE and LICC this year, to mark her 90 th birthday. In the foreword the Queen wrote:"I have been – and remain – very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for his steadfast love. I have indeed seen his faithfulness." When she came to the throne, the Commonwealth consisted of eight nations. Today, 54 nations and territories, almost all former colonies, are members. How do you turn nations that your own country has conquered, ruled, and exploited for decades into friends? The Servant Queen and the King She Serves is designed to be a conversation-starter and a gift from churches to their local communities and from individuals to friends, colleagues and family. As the royal birthday celebrations unfold throughout 2016, talking about the Queen may be one of the easiest and most natural faith-sharing opportunities Christians have and this book will be a great catalyst for conversation.Again, we see a focus on actions, on the quality of community life, on the quality of the lived experience of every individual. Still, her vision for neighbour-love goes beyond taking the initiative to meet immediate needs. Indeed, in her 1980 Christmas message she set out a comprehensive vision for neighbour-love that embraced every sphere of society from business to education, from the armed forces to health services, from politics to the arts. We love our neighbour by offering our gifts and talents to them in selfless service. Importantly, she closed that section of the message with these words: