Henley Remembers Her Majesty

Henley residents and members of organisations remembered Queen Elizabeth II at a church service of commemoration and thanksgiving on Sunday afternoon at St Mary’s Church and a large crowd gathered in Market Place on Monday to watch the Queen’s funeral on the big screen.

The church service was led by Father Jeremy Taylor and the prayers were led by ministers from Henley Churches. Father Jeremy opened the service with a speech delivered by Prince Edward in 2021 “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.”

During the first hymn, Immortal, invisible, God only wise,  the standard bearers from The Royal British Legion Henley & Peppard Branch, Henley Dunkirk Veterans, Army Cadets, Scouts, Cubs, Guides and Brownies were paraded.  Other hymns included The Lord’s My Shepherd and O God, our Help in Ages Past.

The packed church enjoyed the beautiful sounds of St Mary’s Choir who sang Pie Jesu by Andrew Lloyd Webber and The Nunc Dimittis.

Father Jeremy’s sermon gave thanks to the long service and duty of the late Queen and spoke about how she drew strength from her Christian faith.

The service ended with the National Anthem, with the new words; God save our Gracious King.

Richard Pinches who watched the funeral in Market Place said afterwards, “We were very happy the council arranged the large screen thanks to a kind donation to watch this monumental moment. Unable to get into London, we wanted to be in a crowd to enjoy the group atmosphere. It was amazing how quiet it was during the London parts of the ceremony. Nobody was talking, everyone absorbing the spectacle. We will not see her like again, she was an amazing monarch and the epitome of dedication to her people.”

Photo: Richard Pinches