Majesty: Reflections on the Life of Jesus with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

’For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing.’
The Queen’s Christmas Broadcast, December 2014

An inspiring and collectible volume to mark the first anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Majesty is a beautifully presented anthology of Christian artworks and wisdom, interlaced with quotes from the Queen’s Christmas broadcasts. Images and text are brought together by the expert commentary of former Bishop of Oxford and House of Lords life peer Richard Harries.

Written with a deep sense of respect and gratitude to Her Majesty, this book celebrates the Queen’s spiritual legacy, spanning over eight decades. In a life given over to service, her steadfast faithfulness was rooted in her Christian faith, the beating heart of her spiritual life and reign as monarch.

From Caravaggio to Van Gogh, Raphael to Rembrandt, Majesty features high-quality images of 50 iconic paintings, from both the Royal Collection and museums around the globe, including The Met and MOMA in New York, the National Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Vatican Museums in Rome, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and many more.

The artworks illustrate key scenes from the life of Christ, accompanied by the words and teachings of Jesus that are found in the Gospels. With these, Richard Harries juxtaposes words from Her Majesty’s Christmas broadcasts, relating her faith to the life of Christ and his wisdom, while simultaneously reflecting on how the artists have depicted the scenes.

The perfect gift for admirers of the Queen throughout the world, and especially those who share her faith and admiration for the life of Jesus, Majesty brings together the inspiring words of Queen Elizabeth II with the beauty of Christian art and teachings from the Gospels.

Richard Harries is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and an Honorary Professor of Theology at King’s College, London. On his retirement as Bishop of Oxford (1987-2006) he was made a life peer (Barron Harries of Pentregarth). He is the author of many critically acclaimed books, most recently Seeing God in Art (SPCK, 2020), and Haunted by Christ: Modern writers and the struggle for faith (SPCK, 2018). Art and the Beauty of God (Continuum, 1993), was selected as book of the year by Anthony Burgess in The Observer.