Women and the Church of England in the Twentieth Century | The Sovereign: Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

While the ordination of women to the priesthood did not occur until 1994 in the Church of England, the  influence of women upon English religious and cultural life was none the less considerable. This series considers five Anglican women who shaped national life in different ways and whose religious and cultural influence is still felt.

Queen Elizabeth II Since her death in September 2022, there has been a movement of some to commemorate the late Queen Elizabeth II as 'Elizabeth the Confessor', in recognition of her own deep faith and evangelistic witness, not least as heard through her annual Christmas broadcasts. In this lecture, Canon Inman describes the development of Queen Elizabeth's own relationship to the Church of England during her reign but also her own significant role in shaping the place of religion in British public life and the Church of England's relationship to the changing religious landscape of the nation.

Canon Daniel Inman is Precentor at Chichester Cathedral and currently has a particular interest in the relationship between the Church of England and Britain's empire.