The head of the Church of England, Queen Elizabeth II, praised the BBC for its lengthy TV series "Songs of Praise," which marked its 60th year on Sunday with over 3,000 episodes, for portraying Christianity as a "living faith."
According to The Telegraph, the queen spoke about "Songs of Praise" in a message for a special edition of the program airing on Sunday.
"For 60 years, Songs of Praise has drawn together congregations and BBC viewers throughout the United Kingdom in collective worship," said the queen.
In addition, she congratulated "Songs of Praise" and all those participating in the show on their 60th anniversary.
One of the longest-running hosts of "Songs of Praise," Aled Jones said that this was "one of the biggest joys of my life."
"It is an honor to be able to share uplifting stories of faith with our dear audience and to gladden hearts with music that means the world to me. Here's to a future filled with wonderful 'Songs of Praise!'" said Jones.
According to The Sunday Times, the queen began the public session of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood on Saturday morning by talking freely about the late Duke of Edinburgh.
"I have spoken before of my deep and abiding affection for this wonderful country, and of the many happy memories Prince Philip and I always held of our time here," she was reported as adding. "It is often said that it is the people that make a place, and there are few places where this is truer than in Scotland, as we have seen in recent times."
It was reported in an interview with a media outlet in April that a church leader close to the late Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, convinced the queen, his wife, to speak more about her Christian faith during a Christmas program in 2000.
The Rev. Ian Bradley, author of God Save the Queen, said at the time in an interview with Premier Christian News said that "[Prince Philip] was the person really who encouraged the queen to talk about her own faith in her Christmas broadcasts."
It was more like a travelogue in the past, he remembered.
"They would just say where the royal family had been," he said.
According to visiting preacher Bradley, who served as a guest minister at the Parish of Braemar and Crathie for a time in 2000, the "queen spoke very movingly and powerfully about her own Christian faith and the impact it had on her."
In addition, he said that the reception from viewers had been "very positive.""And ... it was Philip who really persuaded the queen to make more of her own Christian faith. And he said, 'You should be talking about this.'"
Additionally, Bradley revealed that Prince Philip had a passion for theological studies.
"He would note down all the details of the sermon. He was extremely interested ... in theology. He had a wonderful knowledge of the Bible, and then he would sort of quiz you at lunchtime, ask you about your sermon and really put you on your mettle. And I was amazed at his biblical knowledge."
The queen also reportedly discussed Jesus' vital influence in her life in her 2016 book, published only months before her 90th birthday.
The British queen said in the introduction of The Servant Queen and the King She Serves, "I have been - and remain - very grateful to you for your prayers and to God for His steadfast love. I have indeed seen His faithfulness."
