Visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II
On 6th May 2016, the town was greatly honoured when we welcomed Her Majesty the Queen to Berkhamsted.
In a special ceremony, attended by a number of local dignitaries and representatives of the local community, the Queen unveiled a newly-restored Coat of Arms of Elizabeth I which hangs in St Peter’s Church.
This Coat of Arms had recently been restored by the Friends of St Peter’s, and a new board had been added to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 2012.
During the ceremony, the choirs of St Peter’s Church and the Berkhamsted school sang a short programme of choral pieces in the gracious presence of Her Majesty, including Vivaldi’s Gloria and Charles Wood’s O Thou the Central Orb. A beautiful new work, O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, composed specially for the occasion by St Peter’s Director of Music, Adrian Davis, was also sung.
The Queen then went on to visit the Berkhamsted School for a celebration of their 475th anniversary. Berkhamsted School was founded in 1541 by Dean Incent, a member of the Berkhamsted Parish who was Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral 1540-45. At the school, the Queen inspected a guard of honour from the school’s Combined Cadet Force, and was entertained by pupils performing songs from their forthcoming production of The Lion King Jr.
Videos of the Day
Photo Gallery
