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acknowledge that I hold the said bishopric in spirituality [i.e. not from God] and
temporality only from Your Majesty…” ‘
Elizabeth is very conventional in her religion; when the new prayer book was
substituted for the old Book of Common Prayer, she accepted it, but in her heart of
hearts she prefers the old version; it is used in Sandringham Church on the Sundays
when she is there and Scripture readings are taken from the old Bible and not the
modern version. Four different bishops are invited to preach at Sandringham in January
when Elizabeth is there and it is noticeable that the less orthodox tendency appear only
when she is not. Although not a great communicant (usually only on the big festival
days of Easter, Christmas and Whitsun), she is attentive and sincere when in church.
When at Windsor she goes to eleven o’clock service in the Private Chapel in the Great
Park near the Royal Lodge every Sunday and then back to drinks and usually lunch with
the Queen Mother. Philip has become more serious and interested in religion over the
last thirty years. He is ‘much less sarcastic, more tolerant and prepared to listen’, a
clergyman said. With Elizabeth, Philip was deeply involved in the setting-up of St
George’s House as a Centre for Christian Consultation, a religious ‘think-tank’ for
laymen, clergy and clergy in training.
As a traditional Anglican Christian with an exceptionally stable family background
over two generations – her parents and her grandparents – Elizabeth is particularly hurt
by and in some ways uncomprehending of the failure of her children’s marriages. Just as
she views her anointing and the vows which she made at her Coronation as sacred, so
too her marriage – and particularly where children are concerned – involves a
commitment. Divorce is the last resort. Members of her family who come to her to tell
her of their marital failures are always advised to wait, to give the situation time to heal
before making the irrevocable decision. Before Elizabeth’s accession, divorcees were not
admitted to court functions and (with the notable exception of Peter Townsend) were
excluded from the upper echelons of the royal house hold. Since 1955 divorcees are no
longer prohibited from entering the (enlarged) Royal Ascot Enclosure – undischarged
bankruptcy or a criminal record being the only grounds for exclusion. Forty years ago
even old friends of Elizabeth’s who might have breached the no-divorce rule, even
innocently, would not have expected to be invited to the Palace; it has been many years
since that particular taboo operated. Elizabeth understands but she has an inherited gut
feeling that divorce is both sad and wrong, which makes the failure of her children’s
marriages all the more tragically ironic.
In artistic and intellectual circles Elizabeth is generally regarded as a philistine. She
practically never reads a book unless it is horse-related. She does not enjoy the opera,
theatre or concerts – not even ballet for which her mother and sister are enthusiasts.
Science and technology bore her; Philip is credited with having told someone who
suggested the Queen might like to visit some high-tech plant: ‘Unless it eats grass and
farts, she isn’t interested.’ This is, however, an exaggeration. Elizabeth is knowledgeable
and appreciative about the great royal collections, which she regards herself as holding
in trust for future generations and has become increasingly so. Nor is it true that she