As celebrations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee are held across the UK, the British Consulate in Jerusalem is marking the Queen’s reign and her faith with a special event.
Diane Corner is the British Consul-General in Jerusalem where the Consulate has been gearing up for a special party this weekend to mark Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne.
She's been speaking to Paul Calvert for Premier about the celebrations and about her role in Jerusalem :
“It’s 70 years since her Majesty came to the throne and British embassies and posts around the world are celebrating and hosting Queen's birthday parties and that's what we're doing in Jerusalem.
“We have invited our friends and partners, diplomats, representatives of religious institutions, the churches in all their denominations, plus representatives of the Muslim faith, we have Jewish people here, Jewish friends as well. So it's a great gathering together, there are diplomats and representatives of NGOs and other institutions that we work with.
“It’s a great gathering in the garden of the Consulate General in Jerusalem. And it's decorated with bunting and flags, and with some traditional symbols of the UK. We have a telephone box, we also have a soldier - a traditional soldier in the traditional Beefeater uniform - and a sentry box in the garden at the Consulate General.
“The Queen is the head of the Church of England and a regular churchgoer. She speaks often about her faith and the importance of faith. In much of her work she embodies Christian values and she certainly seeks to impart them to others around her.“
Asked what her hopes and prayers are for Jerusalem, Diane Corner said :
“I think it is just that one day there will be a two state solution, and that the Jewish people and the Israelis may be able to live in peace and security which they crave, and also that the Palestinians too may have their own sovereign state and that the two states may live together side by side in peace and harmony.”