ON MONARCHY AND MORAL VALUES IN THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY’S THANKSGIVING SERMON

Abstract

The present paper reviews the moral content of contemporary British monarchy as discussed in the Diamond Jubilee Thanksgiving sermon. A key point in the analysis is the relationship between the idea of the successful monarch and the concept of dedication which the ecclesiastical interpretation insists continues to capture the essence of monarchy. In examining the royal highly moral conduct the text seeks to trace the biblical template it is modelled on and its relation to typically British values.