As you will have seen, Buckingham Palace has announced that Her Majesty the Queen has died. 

We will be holding a prayer service in St Albright’s Church at 9.00 am today, 9 September. The church will be open all day for private prayer and the lighting of candles.

The church bells will toll at 12 noon, in unison with church bells throughout the nation.

We will arrange to have a book of remembrance at the back of the church as soon as we can. 

The Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford has expressed her great sadness at the news. Bishop Guli said:

"My thoughts and prayers, and those of everyone in the Diocese of Chelmsford, are with the Royal Family, our nation and commonwealth. 

"At this time of great sadness, we remember with profound gratitude Her Majesty the Queen’s contribution as monarch. Her reign included times of great joy and celebration but also many challenges. It has been a time of unprecedented change for this nation and the world but throughout, Her Majesty’s faith in God and extraordinary sense of duty helped to guide her. 

"As we mourn Her Majesty’s death, we give thanks to God for her life, her faith and her exceptional devotion to her duty as monarch.