The Queen has well-informed opinions and views on many of her bishops and likes those who make her laugh, are straightforward and intelligent. She found George Carey too much of a moralist and disliked the way he criticised her children’s behaviour. She might have shared his view, but felt Christianity was as much about forgiveness as morality. She very much likes the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who employs former royal press secretary Ailsa Anderson as his own director of communications.

Her position in Scotland is slightly different, as there the Queen vows to uphold the constitution of the Church of Scotland (a Presbyterian national church), but holds no leadership position. Nevertheless, she appoints the Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland as her personal representative, with a ceremonial role. The Queen on occasion has filled the role personally, as when she opened the General Assembly in 1977 and 2002 (her Silver and Golden Jubilee years).

The Queen’s relationship with the Church of England was symbolised at the Coronation in 1953 when Her Majesty was anointed by Archbishop of Canterbury Geoffrey Fisher. He asked her: ‘Will you to the utmost of your power maintain the Laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel? Will you to the utmost of your power maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law? Will you maintain and preserve inviolably the settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline and government thereof, as by law established in England? And will you preserve unto the Bishops and Clergy of England, and to the Churches there committed to their charge, all such rights and privileges, as by law do or shall appertain to them or any of them?’ To which the Queen responded: ‘All this I promise to do.’

Then, with the Sword of State carried before her, she went up to the altar and made her solemn oath. Laying her right hand upon the Bible, she knelt and declared: ‘The things which I have here before promised, I will perform and keep. So help me God.’ Then she kissed the Bible and signed the oath. The ceremony continued as these words were spoken to her: ‘Our gracious Queen: To keep your Majesty ever mindful of the Law and the Gospel of God as the Rule for the whole life and government of Christian princes, we present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords. Here is Wisdom; this is the Royal Law; these are the lively Oracles of God.’