Church of Scotland Moderator reads prayer at Queen's Funeral service
Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields was at Balmoral the weekend before the Queen died there on September 8th
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has paid tribute to the Queen after saying a prayer at her state funeral.
Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields formed part of the pre-procession of church leaders including the Dean of the Chapel Royal in Scotland, Very Rev Prof David Fergusson, in the service at Westminster Abbey.
Dr Greenshields was at Balmoral the weekend before the Queen died there on September 8th and said it was a "privilege and a real pleasure" to spend time with her.
He opened his prayer at the service on Monday with the words: "Let us give thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth's long life and reign, recalling with gratitude her gifts of wisdom, diligence, and service."
Dr Greenshields preached before the then Prince of Wales at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral on September 4 and also spoke at a Service of Thanksgiving at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh last week.
The Moderator’s prayer for Queen Elizabeth
'Let us give thanks to God for Queen Elizabeth’s long life and reign, recalling with gratitude her gifts of wisdom, diligence, and service. "
"O God, from whom comes everything that is upright and true: accept our thanks for the gifts of heart and mind that thou didst bestow upon thy daughter Elizabeth, and which she showed forth among us in her words and deeds; and grant that we may have grace to live our lives in accordance with thy will, to seek the good of others, and to remain faithful servants unto our lives’ end; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen."
Speaking after the service at Westminster Abbey, he said: "The last 10 days have been a whirlwind and yet time seems to have stood still.
"It was a privilege and a real pleasure to spend time in the company of Her Majesty the Queen. She was considerate in every respect and had clearly taken time to understand her guests. I was struck by her tremendous recall and her obvious love for Balmoral and, indeed, Scotland.
"Preaching before the then Prince Charles at Crathie was a pleasant experience and an honour, but little did I know that in eight days' time I would be preaching in his presence at St Giles' (Cathedral) with him now as King, as we gave thanks for his mother's life.
"The atmosphere in Edinburgh and, in particular, in St Giles', was very special as we paid our respects to the Queen and offered our sympathy and support to King Charles and his wider family.
"It was a dignified atmosphere that recognised the Queen's strong connection to Scotland as well as a service of worship that celebrated the Queen's clear and unambiguous faith.
"The tributes have been many and heartfelt and we have now held these final services and rites as the Queen is finally laid to rest.
"It is a time of reflection as we look at her life and examine our own before God.
"It is also a time to move on and we do so in hope and expectation."
The Queen's Funeral
The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, as it leaves Westminster Hall for the State Funeral at Westminster Abbey
King Charles III, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex walk behind the coffin as it moves to Westminster Abbey
The State Gun Carriage carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
Members of the clergy wait for the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to arrive at Westminster Abbey
King Charles III salutes the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried into Westminster Abbey
King Charles III and the Queen Consort in front of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II during her State Funeral
(front row) King Charles III, the Queen Consort, the Princess Royal, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl of Wessex, the Countess of Wessex, (second row) the Duke of Sussex, the Duchess of Sussex, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Lady Louise Windsor, and (third row) Samuel Chatto, Arthur Chatto, Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto in front of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby speaking during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
An aerial view of The Queen's coffin as the procession after Her Majesty's funeral makes its way through London
Her Majesty The Queen's coffin during the procession after her funeral in London
The Queen's coffin being pulled along The Mall during the procession after Her Majesty's funeral
Buckingham Palace staff pay their respects as the Queen's coffin and procession pass by following Her Majesty's funeral
The State Gun Carriage carries the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, in the Ceremonial Procession following her State Funeral at Westminster Abbey.
The Royal family watch as the funeral procession reaches Wellington Arch and Queen Elizabeth II's coffin is transferred from the gun carriage to the state hearse
The Queen's coffin reaches Wellington Arch ahead of the journey to Windsor
The funeral moves to Windsor
The Queen's coffin and funeral procession arriving at Windsor
Crowds gather by the famous Long Walk at Windsor for The Queen's funeral procession
King Charles lll leads The Queen's funeral procession as it arrives at Windsor
The Queen's fell pony, Emma, standing by Her Majesty's funeral procession as it arrives at Windsor
The Royal family at the Queen's Committal service at St George's chapel in Windsor
Arriving at the funeral
Prince George enters Westminster Abbey
The Queen consort, Princess of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte arrive at Queen Elizabeth's funeral
Funeral Guests
Former Prime Ministers, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, arrive at Westminster Abbey ahead of The Queen's funeral.
Prime Minister Liz Truss arriving at Westminster Abbey for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth ll
US President Joe Biden walks through Westminster Abbey to take his seat at The Queen's funeral.
The Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, greets US President Joe Biden and Jill Biden ahead of the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife arriving at Westminster Abbey for The Queen's funeral
Guests begin to arrive for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey in London.
Ahead of the Funeral
A quiet and still Buckingham Palace ahead of Her Majesty The Queen's state funeral in London
Guests arriving and taking their seats at Westminster Abbey ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Crowds gathering in central London ahead of the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll
Police officers in central London ahead of the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll
Orders of Service on seats ahead of the funeral of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey
Before the funeral
On the eve of her funeral, the royal family released a previously unseen photo of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll, that was taken to mark the Monarch's Platinum Jubilee.
Before the funeral the Queen lay in state in Westminster Hall. Thousand of people queued day and night to walk past the coffin and pay their respects.
King Charles, The Princess Royal, The Duke of York and The Earl of Wessex stood vigil around the coffin for a spell on on of the days.
On Saturday 17th September, The Queen's grandchildren, led by Prince William, held a vigil around their grandmother's coffin during her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall.
On Friday 16th September, King Charles lll led a vigil of The Queen's children around their mother's coffin lying-in-state at Westminster Hall
Queen Elizabeth II
There can be little doubt the biggest story of 2022 was the loss of the UK's longest-serving monarch, her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Royal family confirmed the sad news on the evening of 8th September.
Huge numbers of tributes were paid to the late Queen as the country entered into a period of mourning. The new King paid tribute to his 'dear mama' in his first specch as monarch.
Queen Elizabeth II's coffin, draped in the Royal Standard, was carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage during the ceremonial procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, London, where Her Majesty lay in state.
As the Queen died at Balmoral in Scotland, her coffin had to be brought back to London, with the RAF flying her back.
After her death, the Queen lay at rest in St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh for a day so that people could pay their respects.
King Charles and his siblings stood vigil in the Cathedral.