THE BISHOP of Worcester said being at the Queen's funeral was an immense privilege and something he will never forget.
Bishop John attended the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey in his role as Lord High Almoner.
He heads the Royal Almonry and it is his duty to be in attendance upon, or represent, the Sovereign at the Maundy Service.
Bishop John is one of only three bishops who were members of the royal household.
He said: "As Lord High Almoner to the Queen, I was immensely privileged to be at the heart of things in Westminster Abbey and at Windsor yesterday, very close to the Queen’s coffin and the King.
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"Both were unforgettable occasions, full of perfect pageantry, superb splendour and magnificent music.
"Most importantly, though, the services spoke of Christian hope, hope in a God whose love is stronger than death.
"This was a hope shared by the Queen and was the wellspring of her commitment to service.
"We entrusted into that love ‘our sister Elizabeth’, for in death we are all equal before God."
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People have been paying their respects to the late Monarch
Earlier this year the Queen had recently celebrated her Platinum Jubilee that saw communities all across the UK celebrate her life and reign over the last 70 years.
Her eldest son, King Charles III, was officially proclaimed king on Saturday, September 10.
And world leaders were among the thousands of people congregating in Westminster Abbey on the day of the funeral.
Across Worcester, people and businesses have been paying their respects to the late monarch and Worcester Cathedral's cenotaph has been adorned with touching tributes and flowers left for the late Queen.
A Worcestershire man was among those in London to pay his respects to the Queen who was lying in state at the time.
Dave Howard, from Evesham, and his wife Debbie arrived in London in early hours of the morning and joined the queue to see her Lying-in-State at 3.15am and reached the front of the line at 9.14am
Mr Howard said: "We got to London at 2.30am and were in the queue by 3.15am. We were very fortunate as we only queued for a total of six hours."
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