September 2 – Loyalty

After Philip had paid his homage to his new Queen, Elizabeth’s uncles came. The Dukes of Gloucester and Kent, her father’s brothers, came and presented themselves before her. This . . . is not easily understood.

Then the Duke of Norfolk, and with each successive degree of lordship, the dukes in the Abbey that shared that degree repeated the words of oath and loyalty that were stated at Elizabeth’s feet, until all that was royal in the land had vowed to defend and serve this young Monarch. The very next in succession, however, the young Prince Charles in his immaculate white coronation suit, had grown fidgety and had been quietly removed.

What would it be like to know that one was . . . shall we say, 17th in line for the same throne upon which Elizabeth sat? Or 34th? Or sixth? All the peers of the realm have their order of descent.

Aren’t we glad, here in Cor Unum, that we are each and all of us only one removed, and much more accurately, in Him . . . we are not removed at all. We are seated at the right hand of God, enthroned in heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are not the Lord, but we are not without Him, either.

Recognition, Anointing, Investiture, Proclamation, Crowning . . . we are not removed at all. The more pertinent matter might be . . . did we wake up this morning to reign and rule with our Lord Jesus Christ? Will we, today, be about our Father’s business just as He was, saying what He heard the Father say, doing what He saw the Father do.

To this day, Elizabeth is known to say, “This is what my father would have done,” and when she makes that observation, she is constant in her decisions, and at peace.


"Lilibet's Father"
statue of George VI
Carlton Gardens
by permission