Quakers meet Elizabeth II
Friends were among those who attended a reception at Buckingham Palace
A representative from London Quakers met Elizabeth II last month at a Buckingham Palace reception to celebrate the work of faith groups promoting community cohesion.
Anne Charvet, from the London Quakers steering group, told the Friend the group included around 200 people, who were each in turn welcomed by the queen. She said: ‘There were splendidly diverse guests from all the main faiths and from all over Britain. A sample includes: the chair of Onyx Link Foundation from Newport, south Wales; the chaplain to the mayor of Belfast, who said emphatically that she loves Quakers; an Imam and an Anglican priest from Peterborough who work together; a Buddhist nun who runs a Tibetan Buddhist centre in Bermondsey, who said Buddhists and Quakers have much in common; and two Muslim women, from Blackburn and Burnley, who are involved in the impressive Near Neighbours project.’
According to Anne Charvet, this was ‘the first occasion of its kind. There seemed to be a hunger to speak to others working in the field. It was inspiring to be among so many dedicated to building community.’
