There used to be a lot more railway lines in this country than there are now. Most towns, and many villages in Great Britain had their own station and there were small branch lines all over the country, which formed a web across the country. Many of these small branch lines and stations were closed in the 1960s after a survey of them done by someone called Dr Beeching.

One such small railway line joined the town of King’s Lynn in the east of England, where I grew up, to the village of Sandringham about 10 miles away, where the royal family have one of their residences. Growing up, every time I would walk into town I would cross the route of the old railway line, where the lines of the tracks could still be seen. In February 1952, seventy years ago, this railway line carried the body of the dead king, George VI, from Sandringham to King’s Lynn and from there to London for his lying in state and subsequent funeral. Apparently when the train carrying his body crossed the road I just mentioned, both sides of the barrier were lined with hundreds of people, some kneeling, who had come out to pay their respects to their late monarch. Every time I crossed that track I would think about those people and the train carrying the dead king’s coffin.

At the same time a young princess was on holiday with her husband in Kenya, and while she was there, Elizabeth learned the news that her father had died and that she was now Queen of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of her territories and dominions across the globe. Yesterday we marked the seventieth anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne, 6 February 1952. At Mass we prayed for Her Majesty and sang the national anthem.

In his sermon yesterday, Fr Rocks reflected on the concept of service, which was a theme of yesterday’s readings. The Queen released a letter to the nation at the weekend, rededicating herself to the service of the nation while also looking forward to the time – perhaps not too far away – when her son Charles will succeed her as King Charles III. For me the most poignant aspect of Her Majesty’s letter was the sign off: in her own hand she finished the typed message “Your Servant, Elizabeth R”, the R for Regina or Queen.

We have heard a lot about leadership in the past few weeks, and as I reflected a couple of weeks ago, we perhaps haven’t been given the best example by our political leaders. By contrast, perhaps, The Queen understands the nature of servant leadership, as Jesus said “to serve, not be served”. When her husband Prince Philip was buried last year, there was a very moving photo of Her Majesty wearing a facemask sitting in the church alone, as she couldn’t give her husband the big send off he deserved and she understood that, even though she could have ignored the covid rules if she’d wanted to, that wouldn’t be the right thing to do or set the right example to her people.

Now I know that for many of you my Queen isn’t your Queen, however I’m sure that you can appreciate the service she has shown this nation and the example she has shown the world of selfless servant leadership over the past seventy years. Like her father before her, Elizabeth didn’t expect to be Queen, as her uncle Edward VIII was King before he decided to abdicate, leaving her father to become George VI, a role he really didn’t seek. But that is what duty means: to put your own wishes and ambitions – which for Elizabeth were  probably to live a quiet life in the country as a Navy wife, with her horses, her dogs and her children - second to the needs of a greater good. May God Bless Her Majesty.