September 2022
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)
The community at Ridley Hall mourn the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and we give great thanks to God for her life of faithful service.
The Principal of Ridley Hall, the Revd Dr Michael Volland said, "Along with the students, staff and Trustees of the College, I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. Her loyalty, dedication, fortitude and devotion to public service are an inspiration and encouragement to us all. Her servant-hearted leadership during a reign which has spanned a period of enormous social change was rooted in her deep Christian faith and will continue to be an inspiration both here in the United Kingdom and across the globe.”
"We give thanks for her life and significant legacy, noting that she was patron of more than 600 charities, the longest-lived and longest-reigning British monarch and the longest-serving female head of state in history.”
“As Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, Her Majesty has been a faithful witness to Jesus Christ and a loyal servant of the Church. In a message to the 11th General Synod of the Church of England, Her Majesty described the Pandemic as, ‘a time of anxiety, of grief, and of weariness.’ She went on to say, ‘Yet the Gospel has brought new hope, as it has done throughout the ages; and the Church has adapted and continued its ministry, often in new ways.’ We give thanks for Her Majesty’s firm conviction that God is faithful and remains so, even in times of great challenge and trial.”
"Since Ridley Hall’s foundation in 1881, the College has valued its strong and deep relationship with the University of Cambridge. Her Majesty the Queen visited the University and its Colleges on many occasions and, in 2009, created Regius Chairs in Botany and Engineering. We join with the collegiate University in expressing our sincere gratitude for Her Majesty’s enthusiastic support and encouragement of the University’s work.”
"We give thanks for the marriage of Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip and for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We pray that the Royal Family will know the comfort and peace of Christ Jesus at this time. Confident in her firm and unwavering faith in our loving and merciful God, we pray that Her Majesty will rest in peace and rise in glory."
Chair of Trustees, Mark Spelman, said, “We give thanks for and celebrate the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth; she was a remarkable woman; an inspiration to so many generations around the world. Her faith and sense of duty enabled her to stay relevant to peoples of all backgrounds over many decades. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy and enduring personal qualities will continue to inspire future generations. We pray especially for Prince Charles as he becomes Sovereign and King, that God will grant him wisdom, compassion and peace at this time of transition.”
