Queen’s jubilee service goes ahead despite monarch pulling out

More than 400 people from all four nations of the United Kingdom have been invited to the event recognizing the Queen’s lifetime of service. The congregation includes key workers, teachers and public servants as well as representatives from the Armed Forces, charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups, according to Buckingham Palace.

The service is also a chance for the royals to come together in recognition of the much-loved matriarch.

Harry and Meghan did not join other royal family members for the traditional balcony appearance following the parade as the Queen decided last month that only working royals would be invited to that moment.

The theme of Friday morning’s event, formally called “The National Service of Thanksgiving to Celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen,” is public service. The Dean of St. Paul’s, David Ison, will lead the service, which will include Bible readings, prayers and congregational hymns to honor the Queen’s 70 years on the British throne.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will deliver a reading from the New Testament while the sermon will be given by the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell.

St. Paul’s will ring its church bell — the biggest in the United Kingdom, weighing more than 16 tons. Friday’s event is the first royal occasion at which it will ring out since its restoration in 2021.

After the service concludes, the Lord Mayor of London, Vincent Keaveny, will host a reception for the royal family and their guests at Guildhall, where the local government headquarters is located. Keaveny leads London’s financial district, known as the Square Mile.