I can’t imagine I will ever be featured in the Sunday Times magazine and I can only assume that Gwendoline Smith, of Neyland, never thought she would warrant such fame either. But there she was for all to see last week - and for a very good reason too. Mrs. Smith is one of a group of ‘remarkable women’ who were born on the same day as our current monarch, and in company with Her Majesty ‘represent a generation whose indomitable spirit saw them through Britain’s darkest hour’ (India Knight).

Now I have never met Mrs. Smith, and I can see no reason why I should ever do so. I have not had the pleasure of being introduced to Her Majesty either, although I did receive my first degree from her mother. But I feel we should thank God for each of them, and for all they have done to enrich the lives of the many people they have met over the years.

The Queen, of course, has received much more coverage than Mrs. Smith, and there is no doubt that this will continue unabated in the run up to her official birthday in June. But I have to tell you that I was particularly impressed by some of the things Andrew Marr suggested in an article I read last weekend. His was a very honest and perceptive reflection and (thankfully) devoid of gushy sentimentality. For, as he rightly points out, there have been moments (not least when Princess Diana died) that ‘the Windsor story has been much more wrinkled and difficult than it can seem today.’

But, despite the presence of a corrosive media culture that ‘likes to rise up idols and then gleefully smash them down,’ he has recognised that the Queen clearly commands a respect that few, if any of us, will ever enjoy. And I reckon he hit the nail on the head when he suggested that a key reason for this enduring popularity is her determination to spend time with ordinary people just like us.

But whether Andrew Marr is right or not I am sure of one thing: the Queen’s behaviour is the result of her deeply held Christian faith. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that you will never understand this Queen, or the success of her long reign, without appreciating the importance of her faith.

This has been highlighted in a recent publication intriguingly entitled ‘The Servant Queen and the King she serves.’ If you are looking for evidence of her genuine faith you only need to look at the Foreword, something she has written herself in a rare departure from her normal practice.

“I am touched,” she writes, “that the Bible Society, HOPE and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity have published this book to celebrate my 90th birthday. In my first Christmas broadcast in 1952, I asked the people of the Commonwealth and Empire to pray for me as I prepared to dedicate myself to their service at my Coronation. I have been - and remain - very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for His steadfast love. I have indeed seen His faithfulness.”

Given all this it might to us all good to spend a few minutes reflecting on what the Queen has discovered, and clearly embodies in her own extraordinary life: God loves ordinary people, and that He is only a prayer away.

Rob James is a Baptist Pastor broadcaster and writer who currently operates as a church and media consultant for the Evangelical Alliance Wales. He is available for preaching and teaching throughout Wales and can be contacted at [email protected]