Britain's Queen Elizabeth talked about the importance of religion and underlined the nation's duty to protect free practice of all faiths in an increasingly secular society at a multi-faith reception to mark Queen's Diamond Jubilee at Lambeth Palace Wednesday.
Surprisingly, the 85-year-old monarch delivered a firm defense of Christianity and religion.
"We should remind ourselves of the significant position of the Church of England in our nation's life," she said. "The concept of our established Church is occasionally misunderstood and, I believe, commonly under-appreciated."
Graceful in a red costume, the Queen attended the multi-faith reception along with the Duke of Edinburgh and his wife Jane, at the London home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams.
She met the representatives of both Christian and other religions including Baha'i, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, and Zoroastrianism.
Follow us
"Our religions provide critical guidance for the way we live our lives and for the way in which we treat each other," the Queen said in an address to the leaders of eight religions.
"This gathering is a reminder of how much we owe the nine major religious traditions represented here. They are sources of a rich cultural heritage and have given rise to beautiful sacred objects and holy texts, as we have seen today," she said in her speech.
She even emphasized that the church had a duty to protect the freedom of worship for all faiths in the country, adding that her accent is intended to build a better society.
"Its role is not to defend Anglicanism to the exclusion of other religions. Instead, the Church has a duty to protect the free practice of all faiths in this country," she said.
"Prince Philip and I are delighted to be with you today to pay tribute to the particular mission of Christianity and the general value of faith in this country," the Queen added.
Take a look at the pictures below.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:
