| It was with the greatest sadness that the United Grand Lodge of England learned of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our longest serving British Sovereign.
Queen Elizabeth’s father, His late Majesty King George VI and her consort, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, were both Freemasons. Her cousin, HRH The Duke of Kent, has been Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England since 1967, and will be sending a message of condolence on behalf of all English Freemasons to His Majesty The King. Another of her cousins, HRH Prince Michael of Kent, has been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales since 1982, and an announcement is being made from Mark Masons’ Hall.
God Save The King.
Following the death of Her Majesty on 8 September, the following measures will apply:
1. There will be a period of Masonic mourning coinciding with the period of national mourning, and black ties will be worn at all Craft and Royal Arch meetings held during that period. No black rosettes will be worn.
2. There will be no suspension of Masonic meetings during the period.
3. The summons for the first meeting of each Lodge or Chapter sent out from today should be printed in black. At the meeting, immediately after the opening (and the reading of any necessary dispensation), a short period of silence should be observed .
4. The first toast at dinner is now The King and the Craft. |
