Reverend Richard Coles doesn’t think history will remember protests or Paddington Bear after Queen Elizabeth II’s death-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

Reverend Richard Coles has insisted history won’t remember Paddington Bear or anti-monarchy protests in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

The monarch died on September 8 aged 96 and her state funeral will take place on Monday (September 19), while the past few days has seen the public leave references to Paddington as tribute – referencing their sketch together for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations – alongside some protests.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he said: ‘I don’t think what we’ll remember about these past few days will be the protests, I don’t think it’ll be Paddington Bear, I don’t think it’ll be arguments about saturation coverage.

‘It’ll be the queue, it’ll be Westminster Hall, it’ll be the ceremonies. I think, how history decides to remember the Queen – of course, that’s for history to decide.’

Coles, 60, has been calling for the Queen to be given the epithet Elizabeth the Dutiful following her death.

He added: ‘Some people suggested Elizabeth the Great, I think a former Prime Minister did. My suggestion would be Elizabeth the Dutiful, because I was really thinking about, “What is the characteristic of the Queen and her reign? What’s the thing that really has so connected with people?”

Reverend Richard Coles has paid tribute to the Queen (Picture: ITV/Good Morning Britain)

‘And I think it is her sense of duty! Do you remember what she said when she became heir to the throne? “My life, whether it’s long or short, I will commit to your service”. And she’s done that through thick and thin, unwavering.’

The Church of England priest explained the reason he changed his stance having identifying as a republican before his ordination in 2005.

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8 aged 96 (Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

‘I think I was a republican in rather a reflex sort of way before I was ordained. Funnily enough, it was getting ordained that changed that,’ he explained.

‘Partly because I began to understanding something about how individuals inhabit public roles they might not choose to do that, but there was somebody there before them, there’ll be somebody there after them. That continuity, that stability is really, really important to our public life.’

Coles also pointed to ‘the impact that royal patronage’, and admitted he was shocked by the way some of his friends were so ‘deeply’ affected by the Queen’s death.

He said: ‘I think the death of the Queen touches us in all sorts of ways. I’m very surprised by friends of mine who would not consider themselves monarchists at all, and yet have told me how deeply they’ve been affected by it.

‘I think it’s because the Queen is such an ever-present figure, deeply imprinted into our lives.’

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

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