KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaicans paid their respects to Her Majesty, The Queen, Elizabeth II, at a National Memorial Service held at the St Andrew Parish Church on Sunday, October 2.

The ceremony was held as Jamaica joined other Commonwealth countries in commemorating the life and service of Her Majesty, following the State Funeral held at Westminster Abbey in England on Monday, September 19.

Governor-General, Sir Patrick Allen; Prime Minister Andrew Holness; and Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, headed the list of attendees, which included ministers of government, members of parliament, and members of the diplomatic corps.

The service included scripture readings by the Governor-General, Prime Minister and Opposition Leader, and tributes in song by the church choir and the Kingston College Choir.

Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Dr Howard Gregory, who delivered the sermon, lauded the stewardship of The Queen as admirable.

“We must take cognisance of her pioneering role as a female world leader in what has been a male-dominated world. In much of her reign, women did not enjoy the vote in many nations or even occupied positions of leadership within their nations,” he pointed out.

Other officials who attended the service included Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith; Minister of Education and Favyal Williams; Commissioner of Police, Major General Antony Anderson; and President of the Senate, Tom Tavares-Finson.

British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Judith Slater, and United States Ambassador to Jamaica, Nick Perry, among other members of the diplomatic corps, were also in attendance.

Queen Elizabeth II, who is the longest-reigning British monarch, serving for 70 years, demised peacefully on Thursday, September 8. She was 96 years old.