queen elizabeth memorial toronto

There's now an official memorial ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II in Toronto

The late Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest in a state funeral at Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19, but the monarch is also being celebrated on this side of the pond with a national Day of Mourning, and now, a ceremony announced for right here in Toronto to be held the day after the funeral.

As Canada waits with bated breath to learn if the Sept. 19 Day of Mourning will also be observed as a public holiday, details have been released about an official memorial to be held by The Anglican Church of Canada on Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. in St. James Cathedral in downtown Toronto

The church's director of communications, Joe Vecsi, confirmed on Monday that the cathedral would host the ceremony marking the end of the Queen's 70-year reign and role as the supreme governor of the Church of England, in which she formally appointed bishops and archbishops on the advice of the U.K. prime minister.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said he was joining "the nation, the Commonwealth and the world" in mourning Elizabeth.

"As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation and society," said Welby.

The official memorial will technically be the second such tribute to the late Queen at St. James Cathedral — all Anglican churches tolled their bells 96 times on Sept. 9, with each ring representing one year of her life.

Like many Commonwealth government organizations for which the queen served as a figurehead, changes are coming to Anglican churches across the globe due to the passing of Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III as the new King.

Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, announced that references to the queen in the Book of Common Prayer's 1962 edition, the Book of Alternative Services and other liturgies are to be replaced immediately by new editions referencing the new King.

Lead photo by

Jack Landau


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