Portrait of Princess Elizabeth aged seven, by Philip de László, 1933

In  the little church at Nevern, a poem on a card caught my eye. It was one I’d never seen before and, when I got home, I looked it up and found it has its own place in British history.

The poem was published with the title God Knows in a book by Minnie Louise Haskins in 1912, but it is better known by its unofficial title, The Gate of the Year. When she was thirteen, the young Princess Elizabeth handed the poem to her father, King George VI who quoted it during his 1939 Christmas broadcast. Her mother had come across the poem and mentioned it to the king. Many years later, when the princess became Queen Elizabeth II, she had the verse engraved upon the gates of her father’s memorial chapel and later still, included in her mother’s funeral service. The poem obviously means a great deal to Her Majesty and has become one of the small details of history that show the human side of royalty.

This year, Her Majesty celebrated her 90th birthday. She is, by far, Britain’s longest serving monarch, now approaching sixty-five years as queen of this realm. The institution of the monarchy has attracted much criticism over the years, and will continue to do so. It has suffered the disapproval and distaste of republicans. From adoration to disdain, there is every shade of opinion about the Royal Family, but few, I think, would deny Her Majesty’s personal devotion to her people and her role.

One of her formal titles is Defender of the Faith and she is the head of the Church of England. Faith, however, is not just another role, but a deeply personal matter for the Queen and both her official and personal life have been characterised by her ideal of service to her people and her god. The responsibilities thrust upon her by the unusual events that ended with her accession to the throne have been heavy and her faith has been one of her inner strengths, yet she is quoted as saying, “Let us not take ourselves too seriously. None of us has a monopoly on wisdom.”

Her faith is the light that guides her, yet it always reminds me of that of my great-grandmother, who spoke to her god every night as if to a beloved friend. Reading the poem, I could see why.

God Knows

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:
What need our little life
Our human life to know,
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife
Of things both high and low,
God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will
Is best. The stretch of years
Which wind ahead, so dim
To our imperfect vision,
Are clear to God. Our fears
Are premature; In Him,
All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until
God moves to lift the veil
From our impatient eyes,
When, as the sweeter features
Of Life’s stern face we hail,
Fair beyond all surmise
God’s thought around His creatures
Our mind shall fill.