Who is the Dean of Westminster David Hoyle?

THE Queen died aged 96 on September 8, 2022, with her close family beside her.

After a week of national mourning, Her Majesty will be laid to rest at her state funeral in Westminster Abbey on Monday, September 19, 2022.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dean of Westminster, David Hoyle, who will lead the service as the nation bids farewell to the Queen.

Who is David Hoyle?

Hoyle was born in 1957 in Lancashire, England.

He studied history and theology at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, graduating in 1980.

Hoyle was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1986 and as a priest in 1987.

These days, his official title is The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle MBE, and he is responsible for overseeing the spiritual work of Westminster Abbey.

He is the 39th Dean of Westminster, beginning his role on November 16, 2019, following the retirement of previous dean John Hall.

Before taking on that role, he worked as Chaplain and Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge; Vicar of Christ Church, Southgate; and Director of Ministry and Canon Residentiary of Gloucester Cathedral. He has also been Dean of Bristol.

Will David Hoyle lead the Queen’s funeral?

The funeral will be attended by dignitaries and leaders from across the world.

The order of service shows that the Dean of Westminster will open the funeral with a bidding prayer, and end the funeral with the Blessing.

Other clergy will also have vital roles throughout the service, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby who will say the commendation prayer and give the sermon.

What has David Hoyle said about the Queen?

The late Queen Elizabeth II was known as an extremely devout Christian, and often spoke of how important the Abbey was to her.

It was the site of her own coronation, her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh and the wedding of her grandson Prince William.

Dr Hoyle said: “I think, like any funeral, this is an opportunity for us to mourn because we’ve lost someone we held dear and respected.

“This is an opportunity for us to give thanks for an extraordinary life and an extraordinary achievement, this is an opportunity for us to pray for our new king and for his family in their grief, and this is an opportunity, if you like, for us to give the grief somewhere to go.

“A nation and Commonwealth, quite frankly the whole world, will be paying attention and the abbey will be a bit of a crucible holding all that, if you like.”

When asked if the funeral would feature modern updates, he added: “I’ll wait and see because I’m not going to comment on the content of the service.

“But this is Westminster Abbey, this is Her Majesty the Queen, I think you can assume that you’re going to see tradition in action, living tradition in action.”

He added: “She was the constant in an inconstant age so I think a lot of us feel that the continuity of someone who’s weathered all these storms and challenges, all these joys and sorrows made the rest of us feel that it can be done.

“I think we’ve lost that, I think this country has lost a long memory, all those conversations with Prime Ministers, a lot of wisdom.

“The King has had plenty of time to prepare and will step into that role in a wonderful way, but I think it’s that constancy, I think it’s that wisdom, and then I think it’s someone who put herself, her character and her commitment to principle right at the heart of public life, not many people do that in the way that she did.”