Christ Church Cathedral celebrates the Coronation with a special Service of Thanksgiving

People queuing in Tom Quad before the serviceHundreds of people filled Christ Church Cathedral on Friday 5 May 2023 to attend a special Service of Thanksgiving on the eve of the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

This service, marking a historic moment in the life of our nation, was attended by The Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, The Bishop, along with Civic and religious leaders from across the city and county and members of the public.

At the Service the Cathedral Choir and Frideswide Voices sang a beautiful selection of music especially written for royal occasions, such as Zadok the Priest and I Was Glad.

During the Service, The Bishop gave a sermon in which he said:

Members of the congregation in the Cathedral garden'The world faces environmental catastrophe in our own generation. Surely Charles is king for such a time as this…King Charles has prepared for all of his life for this moment. He is and will be a rich blessing to our nation and Commonwealth and the world. We know him better than any previous monarch because of the age in which we live. We know he will have a strong support and stay in Queen Camilla.'

Following the service, members of the congregation were invited into the Cathedral Gardens as the Loyal Toast was given by the Lord-Lieutenant for His Majesty.