Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis has released a one-off version of the Prayer for the Royal Family, in honour of the Queen’s official 90th birthday.
The monarch will celebrate her second 90th birthday of the year on Saturday, when the new prayer will be said for the first and last time at United Synagogue shuls around Britain.
The revised prayer has extra lines which ask that God, who “has seen fit to preserve the Queen in life and good health beyond her ninetieth year, continue to guard her and deliver her from all trouble and sorrow.”
Continuing in a complimentary fashion, the prayer also adds: “We offer our gratitude for the blessings You have bestowed upon our gracious and noble Sovereign throughout the ninety years of her life.
“In Your infinite wisdom, You have guided the hand of Her Majesty the Queen and made her a worthy Monarch who loves peace, inspires loving-kindness and champions the finest values of our society. May she continue to reign in good health for many years to come.”
In April, for the Queen’s actual 90th birthday, the Chief Rabbi presented her with a special version of the usual prayer for the Royal family.
The prayer, given to the monarch while Rabbi Mirvis and his wife Valerie stayed over at Windsor Castle as her guests, was written on watercolour paper and mounted on a gold frame. It was designed for the occasion by British Jewish artist Myra Levy.
The prayer in honour of the Queen's 90th birthday in full:
He who gives salvation to kings and dominion to princes, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom - may He bless;
OUR SOVERIGN LADY QUEEN ELIZABETH
PHILLIP DUKE OF EDINBURGH
CHARLES PRINCE OF WALES
AND ALL THE ROYAL FAMILY
May the supreme King of kings, who in His mercy, has seen fit to preserve the Queen in life and good health beyond her ninetieth year, continue to guard her and deliver her from all trouble and sorrow. May He bless and protect Her Majesty’s Armed Forces. May He put a spirit of wisdom and understanding into her heart and into the hearts of all her counsellors, that they may uphold the peace of the realm, advance the welfare of the nation and deal kindly and justly with all the house of Israel.
We offer our gratitude for the blessings You have bestowed upon our gracious and noble Sovereign throughout the ninety years of her life. In Your infinite wisdom, You have guided the hand of Her Majesty the Queen and made her a worthy Monarch who loves peace, inspires loving-kindness and champions the finest values of our society. May she continue to reign in good health for many years to come.
In her days and in ours, may our Heavenly Father spread the tabernacle of peace over all the dwellers on earth; and may the redeemer come to Zion; and let us say Amen.
