A special service of thanksgiving to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is to be held at Leicester’s St Mary de Castro Church next Thursday.
The service on Thursday, June 2, is set to take place at 5.30pm and there are 220 places for members of the public which will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE, is Her Majesty’s representative in county and city, will give a reading and there will be hymns, prayers and readings to thank Queen Elizabeth II for her reign, faith, and service.
St Mary de Castro is hosting the event because Leicester Cathedral is currently undergoing major renovation work.
Mr Kapur said that giving a reading at this special thanksgiving service is “an honour and a privilege”.
“This service is a wonderful way to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s 70 years of service, becoming the first British monarch in history to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee”, he said.
“It is set to be a memorable occasion, and everyone is welcome to join us and celebrate with music, readings and prayers in the beautiful St. Mary de Castro Church.”
The service will be led by Bishop Martyn, and there will be performances by the boys, junior girls, senior girls and songmen of the Cathedral Choir, as well as music by David Cowen, the cathedral’s organist.
Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow said: “This hugely significant celebration is a time to give thanks for all that Queen Elizabeth II has given to the communities that she has served for so many years.
“These communities have changed almost beyond recognition from 70 years ago and so this celebration also provides an opportunity to recommit ourselves to serving others and strengthening the relationships which are the bedrock of our society.”
The 220 public places available will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Information about queuing for places will be made available on the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire’s Platinum Jubilee web page in due course.
Entry is not guaranteed due to the limited number of places available said a spokesman for Leicestershire County Council.