"May the Supreme King of Kings in His mercy preserve the Queen in life”.
At this great moment of national remembrance and celebration, we thank the Almighty for answering this prayer, recited throughout Britain and the Commonwealth on every Shabbat and Festival, enabling us now to celebrate 70 extraordinary years of Her Majesty The Queen on the throne.
Throughout this time, the Queen’s concern has been for welfare, freedom and unity in the lands of her dominion and she has brought honour and glory to the Crown and to all her people.
We are exceptionally fortunate to have not merely a titular head, but a genuine role model who has been a rock of stability through times of dramatic change. The Queen is renowned for her many outstanding attributes, which provide global inspiration. Above all, she is known for her commitment to service.
When celebrating her 21st birthday, a young Princess Elizabeth gave the world an insight into her future leadership, which would become a hallmark of her remarkable reign and a lesson for leaders the world over. She movingly said: “I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service.”
In extraordinary fashion, Her Majesty The Queen has been true to her pledge and the Jewish community has benefitted directly from her deep sense of duty and the selfless service she gives.
The Talmud teaches that “royalty on earth reflects royalty in Heaven”. For this reason, there is a special blessing that we recite when meeting a monarch. It is no surprise, therefore, that Judaism is infused with a natural and deep respect for the Royal Family as an institution. Together with many others, I can attest to the extent that this respect has been and continues to be warmly reciprocated, with a desire to do whatever is possible for the sake of the wellbeing and welfare of our community.
The Queen’s heartfelt admiration for and genuine friendship towards Jews and Judaism has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. She enthusiastically accepted an invitation to become Patron of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) and she has always been exceptionally proud to hear how CCJ has been the forerunner of numerous other global interfaith initiatives of much value.
The Queen was honoured to become Patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust when it was established in 2005 and has been passionately dedicated to many acts of memorial.
At a personal level, I witnessed first-hand her concern for the Jewish people and her empathy for our traumatic past when, in 2015, I accompanied her on a visit she and Prince Philip paid to Bergen-Belsen, which was her first visit to a concentration camp.
The Platinum Jubilee provides us with an opportunity to express our deepest sentiments of loyalty, esteem and gratitude. The Queen’s commitment to service and duty have helped to make Britain the great and tolerant country we are proud to be part of and we thank her for her friendship and the kindness shown by her to Jews and Judaism.
As we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, the Queen’s message to the world is more evident than it has ever been; that there can be no greater honour on earth than the service to others.
May the Almighty bless her with good health and happiness to lead us for many more years to come.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis is the 11th Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth
