THE General Synod was among 27 institutions that formally pledged their loyalty to the King at an ancient ceremony this week.

The “privileged bodies” at the audience in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace on Thursday included the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Free Churches Group, and the Religious Society of Friends, as well as civic, academic, and public institutions.

The ceremony, which dates back to the 17th century, allows them the right to present addresses to the sovereign seated on the throne, and “of receiving a reply from the sovereign’s lips”. They also have the “ear” of the monarch, which allows the sovereign to hear grass-roots opinions. Those delivering the loyal addresses included the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan; and the Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey.

The Queen held five such meetings during her reign, the last in 2012 to mark her Diamond Jubilee.

The King told the gathered dignitaries that the Queen had “remained a constant source of inspiration for us all, and I know what great support she drew from your loyalty and devotion. She took particular pleasure in her association with each of your organisations, valuing and admiring the contributions you made, individually and collectively, to the fabric of our nation during her long reign.”

The Quakers’ address, read by Leasa Lambert, of the Black, Brown and People of Colour Quaker Fellowship, thanked the King for speaking out on the environment, emphasising that a just solution to the climate crisis required disrupting existing economic systems.