It was one of those magical moments. The only thing I can really compare it to are the opening lines of the everlasting poem written by the Episcopal priest, W Clement Moore, in his opus "A visit from St Nicholas." The words kept coming to mind. As I looked around the room "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse." There was a sense of the greatest expectation when, during the Primates Meeting 1995, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, made a late night call on the Primates of the Anglican Communion.
An explanation needs to be given, of course, in that the graciousness of the powers to be arranging the Primates Meeting enabled us to actually be in Cumberland Lodge on the grounds of the Queen Mother's estate at Great Windsor Park. This alone was a privilege beyond belief. We realised, through the warm welcome of the then Queen's Chaplain, that our Eucharist for the Primates was actually being held in the Chapel of All Saints where the Royal Family worship many Sundays of the year. All Saints Chapel would be the first place where the body of the Queen Mother would rest at the beginning of 10 days of mourning here in the United Kingdom following her death. I remember vividly the Chaplain showing us the part of the Chapel where the Royal Family sit and pointing out the enormous Book of Common Prayer at the pew of the Queen Mother. The book was complete with worn pages at Matins and Psalms.
The atmosphere at Cumberland Lodge was quite electrifying. We waited and waited. The photographic instincts in me kept pondering if it would be convenient to take a picture. The room was dark and a bit dreary. I would need to use a flash. What should I do? I quickly recalled the moment when I first travelled with His Grace of Canterbury on a visit to His Holiness of Rome, the Pope. I stood mesmerised by the setting and almost forgot to take the photos, but luckily the Vatican aid nudged me and brought me back to reality and the mission was accomplished. The Royal car was now approaching, grand and beautiful. The Archbishop and Mrs Carey along with a very fortunate Secretary General, John Peterson, and his wife, Kirsten, made their way to the door to welcome Her Majesty. A great hush fell over the room as she entered and for the next 30-40 minutes she met every single Primate individually - there were over 35 at the time - and every staff person including the fumbling photographer. The first fifteen Primates were greeted as she moved to each of them recalling certain aspects of their part of the Communion. After a while she was seated on a very special chair and the rest of the Primates queued up to greet her.
As luck would have it I was last. It was really a wonderful thing to be last. The whole notion of the biblical injunction, "the last shall be first", came to mind. Touching her very frail hand I bowed as any good Anglophile would and simply said, "Your majesty," and told her what a privilege it was to be able to take her photo. She asked me personal details and then began a conversation about cameras and the one she liked best. I will not give the company she endorsed the pleasure of this free advertisement but it certainly was for me a very memorable encounter.
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, on behalf of everyone present, presented the Queen Mother with a Compass Rose etched crystal vase to mark the occasion. This is one of the more exclusive gifts our office gives to various people in the Communion at special times and events. To this very day we still tell recipients that "the first person to receive this vase was the Queen Mother." The response is usually an enormous smile and gratitude.
All too soon the evening came to a close but the story doesn't end there. The photographer's dilemma was still very much a concern. What happens if the photos don't turn out? I knew the Primates would be so disappointed, yet at the same time I felt it would be totally inappropriate to gather people together for a group photograph. It just wasn't the right setting for that. Something told me not to do it and I'm glad I didn't. But, indeed, I did take a few photographs. One priceless one was of the Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone comparing bandages with Her Majesty as they were both dealing with difficulties at the time.
But the real revelation came when the photographs were developed. With a bit of trepidation and expectation I opened the package of photos and was immediately relieved to see that there were some that turned out but there was a very unique manifestation that was actually drawn to my attention by Jim Solheim, News Director for the Episcopal Church, USA. The photograph would eventually appear in Royal magazines as well as church publications and would be a great hit in the United States. But what was different about these photos. Jim Solheim said, knowing my Anglophile and Royal leanings, "The amazing thing about your photos Jim is that the light is so much brighter on the Queen Mother than on anybody else in the photo." It was true. The flash seemed to know where to direct its light and thus, although not perfect, we have photos that for me will always be very special indeed. On every photo it was the same.
On the Queen Mother's 100th birthday I wrote a piece in Anglican World about her faithfulness. What more can be said? On Easter Eve, just before the great Vigil in Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury was standing in front of the great west door blessing the new fire. He began the service invoking the presence of God and we were asked to remember with thanksgiving the life and witness of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. As the flames of the Easter fire grew stronger I found myself focussing on the symbolism of death and resurrection and how profound it was that the Queen Mother's death came on this very special day. The whole event was truly remarkable.
So I will be there on Tuesday as I was for the funeral of Princess Diana. I will be among the many thousands who will thank God for the life of the Queen Mother, for her faithfulness and for her ability to make a difference in this world. The newspapers, the TV, the radio, all are filled with tributes to her and I know that whether we are subjects of the crown or not, as Anglicans and Christians we can be grateful that, in our midst, we have had the presence of such a gracious and loving person. May she rest in peace and rise in glory and may her family know that the prayers of the Anglican world are with them at this time. God save the Queen.
Article by: Canon James M Rosenthal
[This article is dedicated to Edna Steffel, aged 90, who lives in Chicago and on every occasion I have ever met her had asked about the Queen Mother.]