Coventry Telegraph front page: January 16

BUCKINGHAM PALACE officials have confirmed the Queen will not be coming to Coventry Cathedral’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The news has disappointed church leaders who invited Queen Elizabeth to join in the cathedral’s 50th anniversary commemorations in the year she celebrates 60 years on the throne.

They were keen for the Queen to be involved in the cathedral’s golden anniversary service on May 25 because of her links with the city’s most famous building’s development.

She laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1956 and also consecrated the new building in 1962.

Since then she has visited on a number of other occasions.

Buckingham Palace notified the cathedral the Queen was already committed to a busy schedule of events for her own Diamond Jubilee.

It is now hoped another Royal will be able to attend.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman told the Telegraph: “The Queen receives many more invitations than she can possibly accept.

“Although she will carry out an extensive tour of the country during the Diamond Jubilee year, unfortunately there will be a number of places she is unable to visit.”

They say it cannot be revealed at this stage where the Queen will be going instead on May 25.

Canon David Stone, who is helping to organise the cathedral’s commemorations, said: “It would have been significant and appropriate for the Queen to come as she was involved with the cathedral from the laying of the foundation stone to the consecration but because of the busyness of the Diamond Jubilee year it didn’t surprise me that she was unable to fit us in.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has confirmed he will preside over an anniversary service in May which is expected to be attended by up to 2,000 invited guests honouring the 50 years since the new cathedral was consecrated.

The original Coventry Cathedral was left in ruins after being devastated by Luftwaffe bombs in the Coventry Blitz on November 14, 1940.

Coun Roger Bailey, an official Coventry tour guide, said a visit from the Queen would have been a huge boost to the city.