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Queen Elizabeth death anniversary: King and Queen to attend church at Balmoral
The King and Queen will today attend a private service of prayer at Crathie Kirk on the Balmoral estate as they mark the first anniversary of Elizabeth II’s death.
Their Majesties, accompanied by a small number of Balmoral guests, will arrive for the memorial service shortly before 10am.
They are then expected to meet members of the local community who may gather to pay their respects in the church grounds.
The late Queen regularly worshipped at Crathie Kirk, the small church just a short walk from Balmoral Castle, during her summer holidays.
The King will not make a public address but released a statement recalling all that his mother “meant to so many of us” to mark the first anniversary of his accession.
Meanwhile, the Prince and Princess of Wales will attend a series of engagements in west Wales.
This morning, the couple will attend a small, private service at St Davids Cathedral in Haverfordwest.
Follow the latest updates below.
Queen Elizabeth II’s death has left a void at the heart of British life
Of course there was an inevitability about it. She was 96, after all, and as the obituaries made clear, had lived a truly remarkable life, writes Camilla Tominey.
Yet the death of Queen Elizabeth II a year ago on Friday has left a void at the heart of British life that only serves as a reminder of the extraordinary quality of her character.
Read more here.
Scottish Greens refuse to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth on anniversary
Humza Yousaf’s Scottish Green coalition partners have been condemned over their “churlish” refusal to pay tribute to the late Elizabeth II in a commemoration marking the first anniversary of her death, Simon Johnson reports.
The Greens were the only one of Holyrood’s five political parties to reject an invitation from Alison Johnstone, the parliament’s presiding officer, to speak in a session dedicated to Britain’s longest serving monarch.
Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Green co-leader and a government minister, said he had not felt “obligated” to make a contribution and he had left the speeches to those “who felt it was appropriate”.
Read more here.
Rishi Sunak - Scale of service greater with year's perspective
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also paid tribute to the late Queen to mark the first anniversary of her death
“With the perspective of a year, the scale of her late majesty’s service only seems greater,” he said.
“Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper. And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication only continues to grow.”
Mr Sunak said he treasured his memories of meeting the late Queen and was struck by her “wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace”, and also her “sharp wit”.
“People across the UK, whether they had the good fortune to meet her late majesty or not, will be reflecting today on what she meant to them and the example she set for us all,” he added.
Prince and Princess of Wales to attend service in Wales
The Prince and Princess of Wales are to mark the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death with a small private service in Wales.
William and Kate will attend St Davids Cathedral in St Davids, the smallest city in Britain, in Pembrokeshire on Friday - exactly a year since the nation’s longest-reining monarch died peacefully of old age at 96.
St Davids has been a site of pilgrimage and worship for more than 1,400 years, since St David - the patron saint of Wales - settled there with his monastic community in the sixth century.
Since the Reformation, one of the quire stalls has been in the possession of the Crown and is known as the Sovereign’s Stall.
This makes St Davids the only UK cathedral where the sovereign has a special stall in the quire among members of the chapter, the governing body of the cathedral.
Watch: Prince Harry pays tribute to late Queen at award ceremony
The Duke of Sussex said he was certain his late grandmother was looking down on him, happy that he was continuing his charity work on the eve of the first anniversary of her death, Victoria Ward reports.
Prince Harry, 38, appeared on stage at the WellChild Awards in London to pay tribute to the “tremendous strength and spirit” shown by seriously ill children.
He had been due to attend the ceremony on September 8 last year but pulled out as Elizabeth II’s health deteriorated and he raced to be by her side.
“As you know, I was unable to attend the awards last year when my grandmother passed away,” he told those gathered for the annual event at The Hurlingham Club in south-west London on Thursday evening.
King releases poignant tribute to late Queen on first anniversary of her death
The King has paid tribute to Elizabeth II, recalling “all that she meant to so many of us” in a message to mark the first anniversary of her death, the Telegraph’s Royal Editor Vicky Ward reports.
The monarch, 74, also expressed gratitude for the public support shown to both him and the Queen, 76, during the first year of his reign.
His Majesty said: “In marking the first anniversary of Her Late Majesty’s death and my accession, we recall with great affection her long life, devoted service and all she meant to so many of us.
“I am deeply grateful, too, for the love and support that has been shown to my wife and myself during this year as we do our utmost to be of service to you all.”
Read more here.
Good morning
The Telegraph will be providing live updates as the nation marks the first anniversary of Elizabeth II’s death.
The King and Queen will today attend a private service of prayer at Crathie Kirk on the Balmoral estate, while the Prince and Princess of Wales will attend a series of engagements in west Wales.
Gun salutes will be fired at midday on Friday in Hyde Park and at the Tower of London while bells will also be rung at Westminster Abbey at 1pm to mark the occasion.
For the latest developments follow the blog and the Telegraph website.