TONY and Cherie Blair were among the congregation at a special jubilee service in Durham Cathedral yesterday.
The service began just before 3.30pm with a procession of County Durham's civic, church, academic and ceremonial figures, including the Lord Lieutenant, Sir Paul Nicholson.
It was led by the Dean of Durham, the Very Reverend John Arnold, and featured words and music from the Queen's coronation in 1953, including works by Henry Purcell, Edward Elgar, Hubert Parry and William Walton.
Handel's Zadok the Priest and Charles Villiers Stanford's coronation setting of Gloria in Excelsis were performed, and readings included the words of St Paul quoted by the Queen in her 2000 Christmas broadcast.
The sermon was given by the Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, and special prayers were read by Canon Eric Stephenson, chaplain to the Queen, a member of the congregation who was born in 1952, a Cub Scout and the cathedral's canon in residence.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article