Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In the light of the incredibly sad news about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, please see below a letter sent to all Shiplake parents.

It is with a heavy heart that I write to mark the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As the longest ruling monarch in British history, words cannot do justice to the service given by Her Majesty to our country over the last 70 years. She led a selfless life demonstrating unwavering strength, warmth and kindness, and steered our nation through times of hardship and crisis, with the importance of family throughout.

Shiplake College will remain open, but we will, with the deepest respect, reflect on and commemorate the life and reign of our monarch in this mourning period. The Union Flag is currently flying at half-mast from Skipwith Tower and we will also observe the expected national bank holiday in association with Her Majesty’s funeral. Further details of this, and any other amendments during this time, will follow in due course.

As we have done before, we will come together to mourn and acknowledge a quite remarkable individual, our Queen. We will stand together as a school community and therein lies our strength. Yet, I am also mindful that there will be individuals particularly affected by this sad news and our staff will be there to support any pupils, and indeed colleagues, who are vulnerable at this time.

Warmest wishes and deepest condolences,

Tyrone

Following the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Revd Briggs offers this prayer...

Gracious God,

We give thanks for the life

of your servant Queen Elizabeth,

for her faith and her dedication to duty.

Bless our nation as we mourn her death

And may her example continue to inspire us;

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.