On the eve of the state funeral, people of all faiths and none are invited to attend
Leicestershire’s Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving for Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II.
Two hundred seats have been made available for residents of Leicester and Leicestershire at
this special service at St James the Greater Church, Leicester, on Sunday 18 September at
5.30pm.
Members of the public can attend the service on a first come, first seated basis. Doors open 4.30pm and everyone must be seated by 5pm as there
will be processions of civic dignitaries and guests before the service starts. Further details and advice for attending can be found further down this page.
The service has been coordinated by the Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Leicester
Cathedral and the Bishop of Leicester, with the city and county councils, as part of a series
of events during the period of national mourning.
The service will be led by the Dean of Leicester, the Very Revd David Monteith, with readings and prayers, as well as music
from the Choirs of Leicester Cathedral. The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow
will give the address.
Books of Condolence will be brought forward during the service representing the heartfelt
prayers and messages of people across Leicester and Leicestershire.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Mike Kapur OBE, said:
“This very special service is open to anyone from all of our communities across the city and county regardless of faith or
background. We hope people will feel able to come and share a moment of collective reflection as we all prepare for the state funeral the next day.”
The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, said:
“Finding ways to express our shared grief and sorrow is so important. After all that we have been through with the pandemic,
this is a moment for the communities of Leicester and Leicestershire to come together and support one another. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was a great unifier and so we gather to give thanks for her life, and to pray for our new King that he too may provide real leadership
in our time of need.”
The service will also be livestreamed on the Leicester Cathedral Youtube channel.
For those attending the following travel, parking and preparation advice may be helpful:
This service will last approximately one hour, with no refreshments afterwards.
There will be around 200 spaces for members of the pubic, on a first-come, first-seated basis, which will be managed with a queuing system outside the church.
Parking will be available around Victoria Park on Victoria Park Road and London Road. Many side streets in the vicinity of the church are residents parking only, but the University of Leicester's Freemen’s Common Multi-Storey Car Park, on Putney Road, is a short walk from the church.
Leicester City Council's app “Choose How You Move” provides information about travel in and around the city.