Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

If you’ve turned on your TV, opened a newspaper, looked at a blog, or any other source of news or entertainment this month, there’s no doubt you’ve seen scores of tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II and her many achievements. In fact, when writing about Queen Elizabeth II and looking at her within the context of B.E.A.U.T.Y (Being Earnestly And Ultimately Totally You) it is like summarizing a library of information.

The truth is, there are many things that we could point to about her life that made not only her reign unique, but her as an individual unique as well. For instance, she was unique in the fact that when she was born she was 3rd in line to the throne. Her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated when she was 10 years old and her father reluctantly stepped in as King George VI. Her ascension was also unique in that she ascended to the throne at 25 after a time of much turmoil when England was rebuilding after World War II. When looking at these two facts alone, it’s almost astonishing to think about how a young woman, who started out as 3rd in line to the throne, ended up being the longest reigning monarch in history.

Psalm 91:14–16 says:

“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.’”

When historians say she was the longest reigning monarch in history this is the scripture that comes to mind. God says He will honor and give long life to those who love Him and trust in His name. It is this promise that is so clearly seen in the life of Queen Elizabeth II because her true accomplishment and what made her a ruler of B.E.A.U.T.Y. was her love for God and her trust in Him.

Billy Graham, a friend of the Queen, noted in his autobiography, Just As I Am, “I always found her very interested in the Bible and its message. After preaching at Windsor one Sunday, I was sitting next to the Queen at lunch. I told her I had been undecided until the last minute about my choice of sermon and had almost preached on the healing of the crippled man in John 5. Her eyes sparkled and she bubbled over with enthusiasm, as she could do on occasion. ‘I wish you had!’ she exclaimed, ‘That is my favorite story.’”

In an interview with the Southeast Sun, Paul Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bible Society UK said of the Queen after she passed, “The nation and Commonwealth mourns a monarch who was ‘a remarkable public servant,’ and whose life was rooted in the Bible.” He continued with, “We cannot understand the queen without a reference to her Christian faith. Her Majesty attended church every week, prayed daily and read her Bible.”

It is hard to imagine the pressure Queen Elizabeth II felt on a daily basis for over 70 years. It is no wonder that she relied so heavily on the Word of God to sustain her. If the Word of God can sustain the life of someone who faces life-impacting decisions and has the eye of the world consistently upon her, imagine what it can do in our lives today?

While these words of others are evidence of her faith, it is also clearly evident in her own words how much her trust in God influenced who she was and how she ruled.

In her first Christmas broadcast in 1952 she said, “Pray for me … that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.”

This quote speaks volumes about her character. First, she says, “Pray for me.” From the very start she recognizes her inability to take on her duties alone. She doesn’t ask for help — she asks for prayer, which is significant. Asking for prayer not only shows a reliance on God, but a value for the faith of others. The second thing that stands out about this quote is that she places, “Serve Him [God],” before, “you.” This signifies that God takes first place in her life. She placed the sovereignty of God before the sovereignty of the throne living out the principle of serving God before man.

In her 2002 Christmas address, she said, “I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through the good times and bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God … I draw strength from the message of hope in the Gospel.”

What is so powerful about this quote is that this was the year she lost both her sister and her mother. In the face of insurmountable grief, she chose faith. In good times and bad, she walked by faith daily, always putting her trust in God.

“The longest reigning monarch in history,” is an achievement that seems to be cited the most amidst all the reminiscence about her life. It’s one of those phrases that has been heard so much that the full impact of the meaning can get lost. Upon first glance, it looks like an achievement earned by simply living long, but take a closer look and you will discover the core of what truly made Queen Elizabeth II who she was — her faith.

Photo by Jakub Pierożyński (@discofairy) used by permission through Unsplash