The KING, The QUEEN CONSORT &I

What are one of the world’s most famous couples really like? Five people with a special connection to Charles and Camilla share their insights

Iam hugely privileged to have spent time with The Royal Family, starting when I was appointed Chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen in 2007, a post I held for three years. I was one of many chaplains whose role, initially, was to represent The Crown in the community. We preached in Her Late Majesty’s private chapels and prayed daily for her, The Royal Family and her work.

I first met The King and Queen Consort on his 59th birthday, when he visited Jesus House – aBlack majority Pentecostal Church in London. I was impressed that he spent his birthday focusing on the work of the Church in the life of the community. Before the service, I was part of a smaller round table with him, discussing the role and work of the Church. I recall reminding him that he did not need to look only to the Pentecostal Church, as even within the Church of England, we also had Black majority churches.

More recently, I met His Majesty in November last year when he came to see the work of a charity I am patron of, called The World Reimagined. The project works with schools and the wider community to tell the story of the transatlantic slave trade through art, highlighting the fact that all our stories are intertwined. Some of the special globes created for the project were exhibited in Leeds, where I had the privilege of introducing The King to a few of the artists who had designed them. He showed great interest and a real commitment to telling our shared human story.

I am most optimistic about His Majesty’s reign. Not only through the work of The Prince’s Trust, but more generally through his various patronages, we have already seen a monarch who is driven by a passion for a unified Britain – aplace where all are valued, irrespective of colour, creed or culture.

All Church of England bishops are encouraged to join in the celebrations, and I look forward to doing just that. We will be encouraging our churches to mark the occasion – through screenings of the Coronation, street parties and Big Lunches, as well as getting involved in The Big Help Out, an initiative created to show our communities some love and give people a chance to try different kinds of volunteering. For me, it will be a day of great joy. I will be praying for a reign filled with wisdom, courage and strength.