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Royal honour for a diamond cleric from Peterborough
Canon Bruce Ruddock, who is set to worship with the Royal Family in the Queens Diamond Jubilee year. Photo: Paul Franks/Peterborough ET
A Peterborough cleric selected to worship with the Royal Family has spoke of the “great honour” of being a part of the Queen’s clergy in her Diamond Jubilee year.
Peterborough Cathedral Precentor The Rev Canon Bruce Ruddock is a Queen’s Chaplain and enjoys the special privilege of preaching to Sunday worshippers at St James’s Palace, in London’s Pall Mall, once a year.
He received the ecclesiastical honour at Buckingham Palace in 2008, which entitles him to wear the scarlet cassock, royal cypher and crown of The Queen’s household.
Mr Ruddock joined Peterborough Cathedral in 2004 after serving at Worcester Cathedral, the Anglican Centre in Rome and acting as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative to the Vatican.
He recalled the honour of receiving his gong from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace and is delighted to play a role in the Royal Family’s worship during the Queen’s 60th year on the throne.
He said: “In my previous job I used to meet the Pope from time to time, so I am used to shaking hands with the great and good but this was a very memorable occasion, because The Queen is so very gracious and she has the ability to put you totally at your ease.
“In a characteristically English way we are not told why we are appointed, the assumption is that it is a kind of achievement with which we are awarded.
“We are appointed by The Queen and it’s an honour rather than a job – much like a gong.”
Mr Ruddock has met Her Majesty on a handful of occassions since and is invited to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party every year.
Chaplains from UK dioceses take turns to preach at St James’s Palace once a year, as scheduled by the ‘Rota of the Waits’.
Mr Ruddock likened the role to that of ‘priest in waiting’, whereby chaplains should be available to Her Majesty if and whenever necessary.
Mr Ruddock will typically spend four hours preparing a sermon for the “extremely well-heeled and articulate congregation” of St James’s, as he also does for his flock at Peterborough Cathedral.
The only difference between preaching in both places, he said, is the vastness of Peterborough Cathedral compared to St James’s smaller chapel. He said: “I will go down to London on the morning and preach the sermon at the main Sunday service in the Chapel Royal which has an excellent choir.
“It’s a great treat and a great privilege.”
Last February Canon Ruddock spoke during a Chapel Royal service to mark the Queen’s accession to the throne in 1952.
Peterborough Cathedral holds a special choral evensong service on February 6 to celebrate the anniversary of the accession and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Mr Ruddock said the service would be nuanced towards the special occasion, featuring the National Anthem and prayers for the Commonwealth.
He said: “It’s not a civic occassion but a service embellished by special music, prayers and hymns, to which everyone is welcome.”
The service begins at 5.30pm and will be led by the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral The Very Rev Charles Taylor.
For more information call 01733 355315 or visit www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk
FACTFILE ON...The accession
60 YEARS ago this month Princess Elizabeth met with the Accession Council and was attended by 175 Privy Councillors at St. James’s Palace on February 8, 1952, to sign the Document of Accession to the Throne.
Two days earlier the princess, who was staying at a game lodge and hotel called Treetops, in Kenya, received the news that her father, King George VI, had died of lung cancer.
Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II, and The Duke of Edinburgh had flown back to England on February 7 and taken up residence at Buckingham Palace.
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was held at Westminster Abbey on June 2, 1953, and it was the first royal coronation service to be televised.
This year’s Diamond Jubilee will be celebrated by events across the extra bank holiday weekend of June 2 to June 5.
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
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church mouse
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 12:56 AMComment removed by moderator
Veritas of Peterborough
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:20 PMyeah Jesus was all about dishing out scarlet cassocks! How the church has belittled his message.
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