The Queen was today praised for her "staunch constancy and steadfast consistency" during a Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral.

The Queen was unable to attend the service in person after experiencing discomfort during the Platinum Jubilee parade and flyover on Thursday, but was said to be watching the live broadcast from Windsor Castle.

In his sermon, the Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, thanked the Queen for her 70 years of service to the nation and the Commonwealth, and praised her "endurance through times of change and challenge, joy and sorrow".

"For me, the best leaders - like Paul, like Jesus – are those who know how to be led. People who lead for others, not themselves. People whose heart's desire is to serve the common good and build up the common life; who don't try to do it all themselves, or act in their own strength alone; people who take a longer view; and who seek out places of replenishing, even places where they might learn the mind of Christ," he said.

"And I say this today, knowing that in Her Majesty the Queen we see an example of this kind of service; a staunch constancy and a steadfast consistency; a faithfulness to God, an obedience to a vocation that is the bedrock of her life."

The Archbishop of York preached the sermon in place of the Archbishop of Canterbury who was forced to pull out after testing positive for Covid.

Archbishop Cottrell went on to thank the Queen for "continuing to be faithful to the pledges you made 70 years ago".

He ended by remarking on the Queen's Christian faith.

"Thank you for showing us how service and faithfulness matter," he said.

"People of all faiths and no faiths and people of goodwill can learn from this.

"Sometimes people say to me that the Christian faith is just a prop. I couldn't agree more. I'm not ashamed to say I lean on Jesus Christ, that I'm trying to live close to his heart. That I need his wisdom and his hope. And if you will forgive such presumption, this is what I also see in Her Majesty the Queen.

"And to the people of our great nation, on this great and historic day, I say this: we are indeed living in a time of uncertainty and challenge, and we would do well to consider where we will find the replenishing we need.

"What I see in Her Majesty the Queen is someone who has been able to serve our nation faithfully because of her faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps there is no better way of celebrating her Platinum Jubilee than by doing the same ourselves."

The service was attended by members of the royal family including Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.