A service of thanksgiving for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be held in Leicester on the eve of her funeral.
The service will be held at St James the Greater Church in London Road, Leicester on Sunday, September 18 at 5.30pm.
Two hundred seats have been made available for residents of Leicester and Leicestershire at this special service, which has been coordinated by the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Leicester Cathedral and the Bishop of Leicester, with the city and county councils, as part of a series of events during the period of national mourning.
“This very special service is open to anyone from all of our communities across the city and county regardless of faith or background.
“We hope people will feel able to come and share a moment of collective reflection as we all prepare for the state funeral the next day,” said Mike Kapur Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire.
At the service, there will be choral music from members of the various Leicester Cathedral Choirs, readings, and an address by the Bishop, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow.
Books of Condolence will be brought forward during the service representing the heartfelt prayers and messages of people across Leicester and Leicestershire.
“Finding ways to express our shared grief and sorrow is so important. After all that we have been through with the pandemic, this is a moment for the communities of Leicester and Leicestershire to come together and support one another,” said the Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a great unifier and so we gather to give thanks for her life, and to pray for our new King that he too may provide real leadership in our time of need.”
Public spaces are allocated on a first-come, first-seated basis. Doors open 4.30pm, with all to be seated by 5.00pm as there will be processions of civic dignitaries and guests before the service starts.
The service will also be live-streamed on the Leicester Cathedral Youtube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/LeicesterCathedral
