The faith of Prince Philip, the Queen – and you…

Danny Webster

His great aunt is a saint of the Russian Orthodox church, he was worshipped as a god by a small tribe on the island of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean, and for the past 74 years was married to the head of the Church of England.

Born in Greece and baptised as a baby into the Greek Orthodox Church, Prince Philip, who died on 9 April 2021, had a more unusual experience of religion than many royals. While constantly in the public eye until his retirement in 2017 age 96, his personal life, opinions and beliefs were largely shielded from view due both to the Queen’s pre-eminence and the importance attached to the Royal family staying out of matters of division and controversy. This was perhaps best emblemised by his silent membership of the House of Lords for more than 50 years until the changes to hereditary peerages in 1999.

‘Strong in Jesus Christ’

The former Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, reflected after Prince Philip’s death on his faith, and recalled having prayed with him for his family, and in particular his children’s marriages. ‘Of course, the Queen and I are so strong in Jesus Christ’, he told the retired archbishop when reflecting on the family’s domestic struggles. One of Prince Philip’s principal contributions to Christian life in the UK was working with the Dean of Windsor, Robin Woods, in the 1960s to found St George’s House, a study centre for dialogue and discussion of key national and international issues and ethical questions.

As a man of an earlier generation where faith was a personal and too often a private matter, and as the consort to the Queen, the head of the established Church, there was little room for public dissent from the course that tradition marked out for him. But nor does it seem that there was much desire to chart a different approach.

The Queen’s faith

Unlike Prince Philip, the Queen’s faith is regularly in public view, with increased prominence in recent years. During the height of the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, her Easter message in 2020 said: ‘The discovery of the risen Christ on the first Easter Day gave His followers new hope and fresh purpose, and we can all take heart from this’. I am sure that it is her faith in Christ’s resurrection that is aiding her in recent days as she grapples with life without the man who has been by her side for more than seven decades.

The Queen’s faith, while clearly personal, is not just a private matter, but a public good. Regardless of one’s churchmanship the role of a figurehead in demonstrating the strength of belief that sustains them and is a constant in times of challenge, provides a witness to the credibility of faith in Christ.

Writing in The Times following Prince Philip’s passing, constitutional scholar Vernon Bogdanor said: ‘In our more secular and sceptical age, it [the British monarchy] must justify itself by works as well as faith.’ He was not talking about religious beliefs, but the role of the monarchy in contemporary society. But some of the lessons are similar. The Queen’s faith in Christ is her own, but in leading publicly and clearly with the difference that it makes to her, she demonstrates afresh its value to all of society and not just herself.

The vibrancy of faith in Christ is demonstrated by believers who are living witnesses to the transformation He brings. We cannot rely on institutional loyalty to attract people to faith, but nor is this an advert for celebrity church endorsements or influencers to attract crowds. It is an argument for clear public commitment to Christ in all of our life wherever that may take us. In an era when many have called for more public spiritual leadership in our nation, the Queen is one who clearly leads by example.