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Since Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, the media has looked back on her long life and her 70 years as Queen. Of all the biographical features I’ve watched and read about Her Majesty, one of the most interesting has been learning about her faith.

“The nation and Commonwealth mourns a monarch who was ‘a remarkable public servant,’ and whose life was rooted in the Bible,” according to Paul Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bible Society UK.

He goes on to say, “We cannot understand the Queen without a reference to her Christian faith. Williams also said that Her Majesty attended church every week, prayed daily and read her Bible.

“The Queen’s faith has made a real difference in her reign and to the nation….Her Christian faith has been her guide during the highs and lows of her life and because of that she has been able to be a stable and enduring presence in our national life.”

In her Christmas address in 2002, Queen Elizabeth II made this statement, “I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through the good times and bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God…I draw strength from the message of hope in the Gospel.” That year she had experienced the deaths of her sister and mother.

Christianity Today Magazine published an article about the Queen’s faith in God and cited her own words. In 2000, she said, “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

The magazine article stated, “The Queen’s love of the Bible and its gospel message led to her participation in the publication of a special book to commemorate her 90th birthday.” It was titled The Servant Queen and the King She Serves…the overview of Her Majesty’s Christian faith was published in 2016 by Bible Society UK….”Her Majesty wrote the forward, thanking readers for their prayers and good wishes. “I have been–and remain–very grateful to…God for His steadfast love. I have indeed seen His faithfulness.”

Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, wrote about his father’s friendship with Queen Elizabeth in an article posted on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website. “The Queen and my father were both committed to Christ, but they lived thousands of miles from one another. It seemed unlikely that a farm boy from North Carolina would ever become acquainted with Her Majesty, but when God drew them together, a unique friendship was formed.”

Her Majesty invited Billy Graham to preach to the Royal Family at Sandringham in 1984. Graham wrote in his autobiography, “I always found her very interested in the Bible and its message.” Bible Society CEO Paul Williams suggests the Queen will be remembered with the words of Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.”

— Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book, “Everyday Faith for Daily Life.”