Chief Rabbi and Board President to attend the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee service

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl will both attend the Platinum Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral to celebrate the Queen’s 70 year-long reign.

The communal leaders will be joined by other members of the Royal Family, reportedly including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and by other faith leaders for the service on Friday, which is being broadcast live on BBC One.

The Board’s President said:”It is an honour of a lifetime to attend the Platinum Jubilee service at St Pauls, and the reception in the Guildhall.

“The Board of Deputies was established to pay homage to King George III and has had a long and proud history of royal service.”

Earlier this week Chief Rabbi published a “unique prayer” he had written in honour of Her Majesty ahead of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Lambeth Palace has confirmed that Justin Welby will not preach the sermon at St Paul’s Cathedral because the 66-year-old has been suffering from mild pneumonia since last week.

He said he was “deeply saddened” to miss the event.

The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, will instead deliver the sermon in his place.

The service will include the Queen’s favourite Bible readings, anthems, prayers and hymns and end with an anthem especially composed for the occasion by Judith Weir, the Master of the Queen’s Music which will set new music to words from the third chapter of the Book of Proverbs.

Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will also be rung for the Service.

This is the first royal occasion on which the bell, made in 1882, will be rung.