How faith influenced the Queen's words
The Queen’s English is what we know as received pronunciation (RP). Those who we would normally associate with using the Queen’s English are often perceived as being upper class and therefore aloof, restrained when emotions are involved and snobbish to those who do not speak in the same way as them. Whilst we saw the Queen speaking well, in control of her emotions, we also saw throughout her life, deep love for the people she served.
The Queen’s English developed and changed in a wide variety of ways throughout her life and as Catherine Butcher wrote ‘many commentators have suggested that over the years the tone of the Queen’s speech changed significantly, with her reference to faith becoming stronger.’ Many suggest that one of the key reasons the Queen spoke in the way she did was due to her Christian faith, especially through her use of Biblical references such as ‘thou,’ and ‘shall.’ Queen Elizabeth may have been born in an era when Christian observance and church attendance was the norm, but she moved with the times.
Queen Elizabeth II grew up in a family that loved the Bible, not just as a coronation gift but as a reliable source of inspiration and comfort. She loved the “glorious language” of the King James Version, which she described in 2010 as a “masterpiece of English prose and the most vivid translation of the scriptures”. Her love of the Bible gives a much more in depth understanding of how the Queen’s English has developed and changed throughout the years as the King James version is known to be a much older translation which explains a lot of the language the Queen used.
Scripture was seen as more than just a book of beautiful words to Queen Elizabeth. Her maternal grandmother Lady Strathmore spent an hour a day reading the Bible with her children and regularly read Bible stories to Elizabeth and her sister Margaret when they were young princesses and taught them how to pray. This reveals how the Queen would have developed a lot of her early language and communication. In addition, the young princesses started their weekly school lessons with half an hour of Bible reading alongside weekly church attendance which would have been a massive influence on the way that Queen Elizabeth spoke.
Throughout her long life, the Queen has carried this on and Christ’s example and teaching have been seen acted out in the dutiful and faithful life of our servant-hearted Queen. Her statements and appeals for prayer throughout many speeches addressing the country may have seemed formal to some – like “so help me God” – but her clipped, received pronunciation – the Queen’s English – softened and so did the ways in which she spoke about her faith.
The theme of service became a recurring motif in the many broadcasts she made throughout her 70-year reign. In 2012, she pointed to Jesus as the supreme example of service who “restored love and service to the centre of our lives”. She added: “It is my prayer this Christmas Day that His example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.” She ended the broadcast quoting from the carol ‘In the bleak midwinter,’ asking the question: “What can I give him, poor as I am?” And reminding us: “The carol gives the answer, ‘Yet what I can I give him – give my heart’.” Her choice of lexis in these comments shows us how she remained traditional in her language use staying formal the entire time.
Throughout any message the Queen broadcasted to our nation, she always had such a hopeful tone; she touched a multitude of lives. Her Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the Nation and Commonwealth and rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Her Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed.
In her first Christmas broadcast in 1952, she asked for prayer: “That God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve him and you, all the days of my life”. She kept her promise. She served faithfully. God answered her prayers and the prayers of her nations. It seems that her prayer from the start of her reign has been answered. Her Majesty the Queen was well-spoken, well-loved and one who loved and served us well.
Aliesha Pooley, Y13
The Queen’s English developed and changed in a wide variety of ways throughout her life and as Catherine Butcher wrote ‘many commentators have suggested that over the years the tone of the Queen’s speech changed significantly, with her reference to faith becoming stronger.’ Many suggest that one of the key reasons the Queen spoke in the way she did was due to her Christian faith, especially through her use of Biblical references such as ‘thou,’ and ‘shall.’ Queen Elizabeth may have been born in an era when Christian observance and church attendance was the norm, but she moved with the times.
Queen Elizabeth II grew up in a family that loved the Bible, not just as a coronation gift but as a reliable source of inspiration and comfort. She loved the “glorious language” of the King James Version, which she described in 2010 as a “masterpiece of English prose and the most vivid translation of the scriptures”. Her love of the Bible gives a much more in depth understanding of how the Queen’s English has developed and changed throughout the years as the King James version is known to be a much older translation which explains a lot of the language the Queen used.
Scripture was seen as more than just a book of beautiful words to Queen Elizabeth. Her maternal grandmother Lady Strathmore spent an hour a day reading the Bible with her children and regularly read Bible stories to Elizabeth and her sister Margaret when they were young princesses and taught them how to pray. This reveals how the Queen would have developed a lot of her early language and communication. In addition, the young princesses started their weekly school lessons with half an hour of Bible reading alongside weekly church attendance which would have been a massive influence on the way that Queen Elizabeth spoke.
Throughout her long life, the Queen has carried this on and Christ’s example and teaching have been seen acted out in the dutiful and faithful life of our servant-hearted Queen. Her statements and appeals for prayer throughout many speeches addressing the country may have seemed formal to some – like “so help me God” – but her clipped, received pronunciation – the Queen’s English – softened and so did the ways in which she spoke about her faith.
The theme of service became a recurring motif in the many broadcasts she made throughout her 70-year reign. In 2012, she pointed to Jesus as the supreme example of service who “restored love and service to the centre of our lives”. She added: “It is my prayer this Christmas Day that His example and teaching will continue to bring people together to give the best of themselves in the service of others.” She ended the broadcast quoting from the carol ‘In the bleak midwinter,’ asking the question: “What can I give him, poor as I am?” And reminding us: “The carol gives the answer, ‘Yet what I can I give him – give my heart’.” Her choice of lexis in these comments shows us how she remained traditional in her language use staying formal the entire time.
Throughout any message the Queen broadcasted to our nation, she always had such a hopeful tone; she touched a multitude of lives. Her Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the Nation and Commonwealth and rarely has such a promise been so well kept. Her Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed.
In her first Christmas broadcast in 1952, she asked for prayer: “That God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve him and you, all the days of my life”. She kept her promise. She served faithfully. God answered her prayers and the prayers of her nations. It seems that her prayer from the start of her reign has been answered. Her Majesty the Queen was well-spoken, well-loved and one who loved and served us well.
Aliesha Pooley, Y13
