The Bishop of Edmonton, The Rt Revd Rob Wickham, took part in a Service of Dedication marking the 100^th Anniversary of the OBE at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service was attended by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, who were greeted on arrival by the Dean, Chapter and Officials of the Order. The Lord Mayor also attended the service.

Almost 2,000 holders of the Orders awards (GBE, KBE, CBE, OBE, MBE and BEM attended the service from the UK and Commonwealth. The Queen is the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and The Duke of Edinburgh is Grand Master of the Order. The Order has strong links with St Paul’s and there is usually a service for the Order there every four years with the last taking place in 2012.

In the Bidding Prayer, The Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Revd Dr David Ison, thanked God for the lives of members of the Order, “for the adventure and courage, idealism and diligence, contributed to the life of our world.” The Bishop of London is the Prelate of the Order and the Dean of St Paul’s is the Dean of the Order.

The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth played voluntaries before and after the Service under the direction of Captain Ian Philip Davis RM, Director of Music.

In addition, a new stained glass window has been designed by Caroline Benyon to mark the centenary which is located in the OBE chapel.

Read about the OBE Chapel at St Paul’s Cathedral, the special relationship the Cathedral has with the Order, and The Queen and Prince Philip’s visit to the Chapel for its dedication in 1960.

Photo credit: Graham Lacdao