LONDON (CU)_Among the series of celebrations scheduled to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee over the upcoming four-day weekend, Platinum Jubilee service, is one of the major events on the agenda. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury has revealed that he will not be attending the service, and that the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will preach the sermon instead.
Archbishop Justin Welby was due to appear at St Paul’s Cathedral, for the service on Friday (3 June), but was forced to pull out of the event after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday. According to his official residence, Lambeth Palace, the most senior bishop in the Church of England has cancelled all engagements and was “resting at home and avoiding contact with others”.
He had reportedly been diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday, which forced him to work with a reduced schedule before he developed Coronavirus symptoms over the weekend. “I am deeply saddened to be missing the historic celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee,” the Archbishop said, adding that he will be praying for the monarch and “giving thanks for her extraordinary seventy years of service to us all”. “I will also be praying for our nation at this time of celebration and thanksgiving. May The Queen’s example bring us together in unity and care for one another,” he said in a statement. The Archbishop further noted that he is praying for those still suffering from COVID-19, as well as those who continue to mourn loved ones whose lives were claimed by the virus.
The service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London is one of the major events scheduled for the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday, along with the Trooping the Colour on Thursday and a concert outside Buckingham Palace on Saturday. Millions are expected to celebrate this major milestone in the Queen’s life, with an estimated 16,000 street parties planned across the UK.
